LISBON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto in Portugal announced on Friday the creation of a system that allows the oral administration of insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Insulin usually needs to be applied by needle injection directly into the belly, in an uncomfortable process, which can often cause pain or even edema, and therefore a smoother form of application has always been a patient demand.

The study was published in the scientific Journal of Controlled Release, said the press release on Friday.

The system was developed in collaboration with the Oslo University Hospital, Norway based on biodegradable nanoparticles. It is able to "overcome stomach acids and the intestinal barrier and reach the bloodstream effectively," thus working to "replace insulin injections and improve the quality of life" of patients with type 1 diabetes.

According to Claudia Azevedo, researcher and first author of the article, different tests proved that nanoparticles with human albumin can, in just "one hour, reduce glucose levels by 40 percent."

"This marked effect is maintained for three hours, then lowers after eight hours. The aim is for the drug to be released in a controlled and prolonged way to decrease insulin administrations," she explains.

The team's next goal now is to "improve the effect and durability of the drug in the body," and make these nanoparticles "more intelligent, to the point of releasing insulin depending on glucose levels." Enditem

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