The expectation of diabetes patients to reduce the frequency of drug use and prolong the drug effect is gradually becoming a reality. Recently, it was learned from Zhejiang University that Professor Gu Zhen from the School of Pharmacy, Jinhua Research Institute, and researcher Wang Jinqiang's team have developed a long-acting insulin formulation. This preparation is made of a white powdery complex formed by insulin and glucose responsive polymers. Through subcutaneous injection, it can intelligently perceive fluctuations in blood sugar, dynamically regulate insulin release rate, and achieve long-term regulation of blood sugar. The related achievements are published in the international journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. According to the International diabetes Alliance, there are more than 140 million diabetes patients in China. Under the existing treatment mode, diabetes patients usually need to cooperate with daily diet and regular insulin injection to maintain the fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose stable. Once insulin dosage is excessive, it may lead to hypoglycemia; If the operation is not standardized, it may also lead to bleeding, leakage, nodules, etc. Human body β Cells can perceive glucose concentration and adjust the metabolic rate of glucose in the body by regulating insulin secretion accordingly. Based on this principle, the team led by Gu Zhen and Wang Jinqiang imitated β The function of cells, attempting to develop long-acting intelligent insulin. "The complex used to make this new formulation is composed of recombinant human insulin modified with gluconic acid, which is closely bound to polylysine modified with phenylboronic acid." Gu Zhen introduced that phenylboronic acid in it is similar to the "suction cup" of octopus, which can firmly grasp the gluconic acid modified insulin, changing the previous dilemma of insulin storage formulations being prone to leakage and not being treated for a long time. Under normal blood sugar conditions, the complex will slowly and continuously release a small amount of insulin, thereby maintaining the stability of basal blood sugar. When the concentration of glucose in the blood increases, glucose can competitively bind with phenylboronic acid, thereby rapidly releasing insulin and bringing blood sugar back to the normal range. "This insulin preparation has been successfully verified in mice and pigs at present." Wang Jinqiang said, "In the existing experiments, we can maintain the normal blood sugar of 30 kg type I diabetes model pigs for more than a week through a single administration, and there is no hypoglycemia." Wang Jinqiang also introduced that drug preparations or devices containing biomaterials for injection or implantation, whose materials generally induce the formation of fibrous capsules, and affect the functions of the preparations and devices. The research team found through experiments that the newly developed formulation, after subcutaneous injection, quickly forms a soybean sized drug reservoir in the fat layer. With the slow release of insulin, the relevant polymer materials will also be rapidly absorbed and will not form sacs. Gu Zhen stated that the team is advancing the application for clinical trials of this formulation. In the future, administering an insulin tube once a week, or even for a longer period of time, may become a reality for safe and stable glucose control. (Le Xin She) (Hong Hengfei, Ke Yineng, journalist Jiang Yun)