In Vacuo Glycation of Insulin

More than 2 million Canadians suffer from diabetes, a disease associated with the body’s inability to produce or effectively use insulin. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can lead to serious complications such as vision loss, kidney failure, cardiovascular problems, and amputation. Therefore, diabetes patients are treated with insulin, with the aim of achieving tight control over their blood sugar levels. While regular human insulin has a duration of action of 6 – 8 hours, long-acting insulin can provide a continuous supply of insulin for about 24 h, thereby enabling better regulation of blood glucose between meals. However, long-acting insulin is costly to produce, and consequently expensive for patients. The aim of this project is to develop simple, low-cost approach to the development of new versions of insulin with long-acting properties, making the treatment more readily available to patients.

Faculty Supervisor:

Elizabeth Gillies

Student:

Seyed Iraj Sadraei

Partner:

PnuVax Inc

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Western University