Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a new silk-based hydrogel system that mimics the pancreas, offering a potential breakthrough in insulin delivery for diabetes treatment.

The innovative approach is expected to provide a more efficient and responsive method for insulin release, addressing the challenges faced by individuals with both Type 1 and advanced stage Type 2 diabetes.

Prof. T. Govindaraju and his team from the Bio-organic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit at JNCASR, said that they were motivated by the success of a previously developed passive insulin release system. In that study, insulin was encapsulated in the silk protein fibroin and injected under the skin, resulting in the slow diffusion of insulin over a period of five days. Building on these findings, Prof. Govindaraju’s team modified the silk protein to create a super smart system that releases insulin in response to glucose levels in the blood.

“The goal was to create a system that mimics the function of the pancreas, an organ responsible for insulin production and release in the body, providing a continuous and controlled supply of insulin in response to elevated glucose levels in the body, to manage diabetes,” said Prof. Govindaraju.

In this study, the researchers added special elements to the system that is responsive to abnormally high glucose levels in the body and trigger the release of insulin, when needed. On injecting the silk formulation, it forms a gel underneath the skin, acting as a small storage area for insulin.

Insulin — a hormone playing an important role in controlling blood sugar — is then released in a controlled manner from this storage area, helping maintain the right levels of blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

High blood glucose levels, indicating a need for insulin, prompts the release of insulin from the gel. This system is similar to having a tiny, self-regulating device that gives us just the right amount of medicine when we need it.

To improve the ability of this gel for insulin release, the team used a glucose-sensing molecule called phenylboronic acid (PBA) and an enzyme called glucose oxidase (GOx). These components work together to sense changes in glucose levels and trigger the release of insulin from the gel.

When the gel is injected under the skin, its sponge-like structure helps hold and release insulin as needed, making it a glucose-responsive hydrogel platform for insulin release.

In the long term, this smart system could potentially offer a more natural and personalised way to deliver insulin, mimicking the insulin-releasing ability of pancreas.

Initial tests on mice showed promising results in terms of efficacy and bio-compatibility. It effectively controlled insulin delivery and normalised blood sugar levels. The transition to human trials and further development, however, is contingent upon industry partnerships and funding.

While the potential applications of this proposed silk-based system are many, ranging from drug delivery, wound healing to tissue engineering for various medical conditions, the team is now working on industrial collaborations to implement the system.  

The silk-based insulin delivery system indeed has the potential to change lives, offering a more convenient and responsive way to manage diabetes, without the hassle of traditional insulin injections.

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: file photo

Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have synthesized a novel and highly efficient photocatalyst that can convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the high-value products ethene and ethylene, which are used as fuel gases.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, harnessing solar energy for fuel production is crucial to a sustainable future. In this context, efficient photocatalysts are needed to convert solar energy to fuel.

Highly valued products

“These photocatalysts can, in fact, efficiently generate useful and high-valued products from CO2, which is important for solar fuel production. Now, while recent developments have yielded some beneficial results towards this goal, materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions with selectivity towards such high-valued products are still in the early stages of development,” states the department

To this end, Professor Sebastian C. Peter, a material scientist from JNCASR, has recently conducted a groundbreaking investigation.

He undertook two interconnected studies with industry-academia collaboration. The findings of these studies were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) and Angewandte Chemie International Edition, respectively.

“The JACS study led to the development of a novel and highly efficient photocatalyst with an unprecedented selectivity of 99% toward C₂H₄, a typically high-value product obtained from CO₂. Moreover, the Angewandte study reports the facile synthesis of the wurtzite phase of CuGaS₂, a photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction reaction, by colloidal synthesis,” the department said.

The composite catalyst developed in the JACS study demonstrates the highest formation rate in photocatalysis. The research also introduces a template-free and cost-effective synthetic strategy for its development.

Country’s first plant

This recent breakthrough by JNCASR scientists has facilitated the development of the country’s first plant that can convert CO₂ into methanol.

“This involves connecting directly to flue streams from a power generation plant in the state of Telangana. By capturing CO₂ from polluted air emissions and producing onsite hydrogen, they aim to convert one ton of CO₂ per day into methanol,” the department added.

“The catalysts we have developed have not merely remained confined to the laboratory. In fact, we have successfully scaled up our innovations, with a dedicated building within the other JNCASR campus serving as the epicentre for large-scale demonstrations,” Prof. Sebastian said.