Insulin pens for diabetics could soon be a thing of the past thanks to caffeine

By experimenting with diabetic mice, scientists have developed an implant, which inserts under the skin, that releases diabetes medication, in the presence of caffeine in the blood. A larger quantity of caffeine is required for a higher dose. A shot in the arm after a meal today could be a shot of espresso in the future.

The team of scientists in Zurich devised a drug called GLP, by altering human cells, which can stimulate beta cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin, controlling blood sugar levels. The designer cells in the implant contain a ‘gene circuit’ which allows them to detect caffeine molecules in the bloodstream. When these cells sense caffeine, they start to produce GLP-1. The implant consists of thousands of gel-like capsules and each capsule contains hundreds of designer cells. Martin Fussenegger, leading the team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, said that “when you inject them under the skin, they stick together like caviar” when describing the capsules. The gel capsules protect the designer cells from the immune system, whilst allowing caffeine in and GLP-1 out.

The implant consists of thousands of gel-like capsules and each capsule contains hundreds of designer cells

The scientists tested the efficiency of the designer cells by exposing them to drinks with differing levels of caffeine. Drinks such as herbal tea and chocolate milkshakes produced a negative result, however other drinks such as Red Bull and Starbucks coffee triggered a positive response, where different amounts of GLP-1 was secreted according to the amount of caffeine present.

“You have a tea or coffee in the morning, another after lunch, and another at dinner, depending on how much drug you need to get your glucose back down”, Fussenegger adds. This implant has the potential to allow patients to have their normal life back; the implant is said to last for six months to a year before it needs replacing.

This implant has the potential to allow patients to have their normal life back

Over 400m people worldwide suffer from Type-2 diabetes and must administer regular injections to control their blood sugar levels. According to Fussenegger, it could still be decade a before sufficient tests are conducted to deem the procedure to be safe and effective. Although a shot of espresso will not work for everyone, Fussenegger remains optimistic and believes that if the approach is successful, it could revolutionise the lives of diabetics.