Dr Piotr Borowicz, director of the IBA explains in an interview with PAP why invest in such research and how the long-and short-acting insulin analogues work.

"Glucose is the primary fuel for each cell, necessary to maintain bodily functions. Distributed by blood, it circulates in our body, washes every cell, but on its own it is not able to penetrate cells. For this, glucose needs insulin, which opens its way for human cells" - said Dr. Borowicz.

He explained that both too high and too low blood sugar is very harmful. Therefore, in the course of evolution our bodies developed a mechanism for regulating blood glucose. When it is high, the pancreas produces insulin.

"When we have a meal - breakfast, lunch, dinner, the level of glucose strongly increases and the pancreas immediately produces an appropriate amount of insulin. Common sleepiness after lunch is a natural result of still high levels of glucose, but insulin quickly eliminates it, making us strong, fit, and no longer sleepy. In a sick person, this natural mechanism does not work, so we need to substitute it with a rapid-acting insulin analogues"- the expert said.

He added that human insulin administered by injection starts to work about 45 minutes after the injection. The level increases very slowly, not at all like a quick burst from the pancreas. Insulin administered less than an hour before the meal, also starts working early. It is not an ideal solution. For these reasons, scientists have invented fast acting insulin analogue that is administered at the start of the meal. This substance is absorbed very rapidly and imitates the production of insulin by the pancreas of a healthy person.

In insulin therapy it is important to mimic the natural process as closely as possible. One important factor is the comfort of the patient who does not have to remember to take his medicine 45 minutes before eating, the other is preventing complications of diabetes which are particularly acute.

"Diabetes patient education consists in learning the body\'s response to meals, to excessive and insufficient concentration of glucose in the blood. Surprisingly, children learn quickly, but the elderly, chronically ill from other diseases, can have problems with this. Despite everything, they need to and they can learn this"- the doctor said.

Similarly important is understanding the principles of long-acting insulin analogues. These, in turn, substitute natural blood glucose levels of diabetes patients at night and during periods between meals.

"We do not eat at night, so the blood glucose level is stable and low. But our brain still works, the maintenance of life processes and nocturnal movements also require energy. Therefore, glucose must enter the cells in a small way. Insulin must also be produced - slowly, without the highs and lows. Ensuring this is even more difficult. After injecting long-acting human insulin, a certain maximum, which is harmful, is always produced. Science is still looking for the perfect solution. Currently, long-acting insulin analogues are administered once a day, we are working on one that patients would take once a week "- said the IBA director.

Long-acting analogue, on which Polish scientists are working, is a new, original project. In the case of rapid-acting insulin, the researchers are developing a secondary formula to use to register the drug in the simplified procedure. Upon the project completion, both solutions will be ready for commercialisation

The natural industrial partner of the institute is Bioton, however, the director takes into account possible cooperation with other, mainly Polish pharmaceutical companies. According to the rules applicable to projects financed from structural funds, the results can be made available to all interested parties.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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