--- title: "Scientists Develop “Smart” Insulin That Can Respond to Blood Sugar Level Changes in Real Time" description: "Scientists have developed smart insulin that can respond to changing blood sugar levels in real-time, a \"holy grail\" for diabetes treatment." date: "2024-08-12" modified: "2024-08-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/smart-insulin-respond-blood-sugar-levels" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "Diabetes" - "insulin" - "type 1 diabetes" --- # Scientists Develop “Smart” Insulin That Can Respond to Blood Sugar Level Changes in Real Time ![Scientists have developed smart insulin that can respond to changing blood sugar levels in real-time, a "holy grail" for diabetes treatment.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* In what's being heralded as a potentially revolutionary solution for diabetics, scientists have developed a type of insulin that can respond to changing blood sugar levels in *real-time*. "Glucose-responsive — so-called smart — insulins are regarded as the holy grail of insulin," said Tim Heise, vice-chair of the novel insulins scientific advisory panel for the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge in the UK, [told *The Guardian*](). How so? As Heise explained: "They would come as close to a cure for type 1 diabetes as any drug therapy could." Research teams in the [US](), [Australia](), and [China]() developed new sources for insulin that lie dormant in the body, which can be activated and deactivated as needed, then mimicking the human body's natural response to changing blood sugar levels. Today, the insulin used by diabetics needs to be injected repeatedly, every couple of hours. It's a laborious process for those suffering from Type 1 diabetes. The newly developed "glucose-responsive insulins" (GRIs) are activated when blood sugar levels rise. They're then inactivated again once levels pass a certain threshold. According to experts, diabetics may only need to inject smart insulin only once a week as a result. If this sounds far off, consider the fact that the researchers have already been awarded millions of dollars worth of UK government grants to aid in their research, *The Guardian* reports. Other research projects awarded grants include efforts to fine-tune smart insulin for a faster and more precise response to blood sugar level changes. As of right now, GRIs still suffer from delays after being injected, which could cause blood sugar levels to rise to unsafe levels. "While insulin has been saving lives for over 100 years now, and previous research has driven important changes for people with type 1, it is still not good enough — managing glucose levels with insulin is really tough, and it’s time for science to find ways to lift that burden," director of research partnerships at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation UK, told *The Guardian*. "We are hopeful that this research will lead to life-changing advancements in type 1 diabetes care," Diabetes UK director of research Elizabeth Robertson added. **More on insulin:** *[Scary Counterfeit Ozempic Contains the Wrong Drug]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()