Abstract
With diabetes mellitus becoming an important public health concern, insulin-delivery systems are attracting increasing interest from both scientific and technological researchers. This feature article covers the present state-of-the-art glucose-responsive insulin-delivery system (denoted as GRIDS), based on responsive polymer materials, a promising system for self-regulated insulin delivery. Three types of GRIDS are discussed, based on different fundamental mechanisms of glucose-recognition, with: a) glucose enzyme, b) glucose binding protein, and c) synthetic boronic acid as the glucose-sensitive component. At the end, a personal perspective on the major issues yet to be worked out in future research is provided.
Keywords:
biological applications of polymers; diabetes; gels; insulin-delivery systems; stimuli-responsive polymers.
© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Boronic Acids / chemical synthesis
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Boronic Acids / metabolism
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Concanavalin A / chemistry
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Concanavalin A / metabolism
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Diabetes Mellitus / drug therapy*
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Diabetes Mellitus / metabolism
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Drug Delivery Systems / instrumentation
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Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
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Feedback, Physiological
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Glucose / metabolism*
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Glucose Oxidase / chemistry
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Glucose Oxidase / metabolism
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Humans
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Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
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Insulin / metabolism
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Insulin / pharmacology*
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Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / chemistry
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Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / metabolism
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Polymers / chemical synthesis
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Polymers / metabolism*
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Protein Binding
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Receptors, Artificial / chemical synthesis
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Receptors, Artificial / metabolism*
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Signal Transduction
Substances
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Boronic Acids
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Insulin
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Monosaccharide Transport Proteins
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Polymers
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Receptors, Artificial
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Concanavalin A
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Glucose Oxidase
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Glucose