Forgot your password?
New user?
Document Actions
Polymers release insulin in response to glucose trigger
The polymer nanoparticles swell in the presence of glucose, releasing their insulin cargo © Biomacromolecules
Chinese researchers have developed polymer nanoparticles that can release insulin in response to changes in glucose concentration, creating a potential treatment for diabetes.
Xingju Jin and Chaoxing Li of Nankai University in Tianjin used a copolymer with a mixture of phenyboronic acid and sugar-based side chains to form their nanoparticles, which they then loaded with insulin. The nanoparticles self-assemble by forming cross-links between the pendant boronic acid groups and the free hydroxyl groups of the sugar, with insulin incorporated between the chains. When free glucose is added, it competes to bind with the boronic acid, breaking the cross-links so that the nanoparticle swells, releasing its payload of insulin.
More: http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/May/07050902.asp
Researchers discover new materials to capture methane