Biotechnology of Insulin Therapy

Most experts now agree that the quality of life and freedom from complications for diabetic patients is dependent on good control of blood glucose level. This requires insulin to be administered according to the level of circulating glucose in a constantly adjustable manner. Currently, diabetics only achieve very crude control of blood glucose by injecting insulin before meals. This is far from satisfactory and a great deal of research has been undertaken to find more sophisticated methods of delivery to produce finer control of blood glucose levels and consequently reduce complications and prolong the healthy lives of diabetics. This book explains how biotechnology, i.e. the use of biological components, insulin, enzymes, genetic material and cells, can be employed to improve insulin delivery in diabetic patients. Amongst the many techniques of biotechnology which are discussed are: recombinant DNA technology, protein and cellular engineering, gene therapy, drug modification to improve absorption across novel membranes such as the nasal and gastrointestinal mucosa and implantable insulin reservoirs, mini-pumps and enzyme biosensor electrodes for monitoring and feedback control of insulin administration. The contributors have critically reviewed these fields in a way that takes a realistic view of the possibilities and problems of new insulin delivery systems and combines the skills of a multidisciplinary team of pure and applied scientists. The editor, John Pickup, is an internationally respected figure in the field of diabetes and has recently co-edited the Textbook of Diabetes, a large reference work covering all aspects of the subject