Kumamoto University’s DNP peptide enables oral insulin
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Kumamoto University researchers, led by Associate Professor Shingo Ito, engineered a cyclic DNP peptide that can permeate the small intestine, enabling oral insulin delivery.
- Mixing method: The team combined a modified D‑DNP‑V peptide with zinc‑stabilized insulin hexamers, which rapidly normalized blood glucose in both STZ‑induced and Kuma genetic diabetic mice with once‑daily dosing for three days.
- Conjugation method: Using click chemistry, they covalently attached the DNP peptide to insulin, producing a DNP‑insulin conjugate that lowered blood sugar as effectively as the mixing approach.
- Bioavailability: Oral administration of the platform achieved 33‑41% pharmacological bioavailability relative to subcutaneous injection, substantially reducing the high doses previously required for oral insulin.
- Future studies: The researchers plan to test the platform in larger animal models and human intestinal simulators, aiming to extend the technology to long‑acting insulin formulations and other injectable biologics.
Why it matters: Oral insulin offers a non‑invasive, lower‑dose alternative to daily injections, benefiting diabetic patients by reducing injection burden; the platform demonstrated rapid glucose normalization in both chemically induced (STZ) and genetic (Kuma) diabetic mouse models, and its 33‑41% bioavailability cuts the dose hurdle that has long limited oral insulin viability while lowering logistical costs of insulin distribution.
Ask SkimNews
