Medicalpress, on June 14, 2023, reported on a new and novel approach to the manufacture of insulin for potential use involving lettuce, yes, lettuce. The article by Lauren Rebecca Thacker, University of Pennsylvania titled “A plant-based, oral delivery of insulin regulates blood sugar levels similar to natural insulin: Study.” A summary of the article follows:
A groundbreaking study led by Henry Daniell of Penn’s School of Dental Medicine has introduced a new, affordable insulin delivery method that could revolutionize diabetes treatment and dramatically lower the risk of hypoglycemia compared to current methods. Insulin, a lifesaving medication for the estimated 537 million adults living with diabetes worldwide, has traditionally been delivered via injection, which can cause hypoglycemia due to insulin reaching the bloodstream too quickly. Although automated insulin pumps can minimize this risk, they are expensive and only accessible to a small portion of diabetes patients globally​.
Daniell’s study, published in the journal Biomaterials, presents a plant-based, oral delivery of proinsulin that addresses these drawbacks. The new plant-based insulin contains all three peptides found in natural insulin, which clinical insulin lacks. The plant cell walls protect the insulin from stomach acids and enzymes until gut microbes break it down. The insulin is then delivered to the liver through the gut-liver axis. In trials with diabetic mice, this oral insulin-regulated blood sugar within 15 minutes of ingestion, similar to naturally secreted insulin, and without causing hypoglycemia, a common risk with traditional insulin injections​.
The production of this plant-based insulin, using lettuce in this case, involves blasting human insulin genes through plant cell walls using a “gene gun.” The insulin genes then integrate into the plant’s genome. The lettuce is freeze-dried, ground, and prepared for oral delivery following FDA guidelines. This method eliminates the need for expensive fermentation, purification, and cold storage/transportation, significantly reducing production costs. The final product is shelf-stable at room temperature, eliminating the need for cold storage and reducing post-production costs​​.
Daniell plans to test this plant-based insulin in canine and human subjects in the future. He has previously conducted canine studies and believes this method could significantly alter treatment for diabetes and other diseases. In addition to its advantages in efficacy and affordability, plant-based insulin aligns with Daniell’s commitment to making healthcare globally accessible and affordable. He emphasized that this new method could provide patients with a superior drug at a lower cost​.
For readers of this blog, we should take solace in that current research, while still in the animal-testing stage, appears to indicate that oral-based insulin may become available in some of our reader’s lifetimes!
Fascinating!