According to the Singapore Ministry of Health, diabetes mellitus afflicts about 9.5% of the population, making it one of the most common chronic illnesses in the country. Fortunately, the high global prevalence of the illness has resulted in a lot of attention and funding being poured into its research. Today, we have more than a few standard treatments that make it possible for someone with diabetes to live a good quality of life.
However, even with these treatments, diabetes remains a serious illness with many knock-on effects on patients’ health and life quality. Also, diabetes patients who are not well-off or do not have a close supportive network may find it exceedingly difficult to manage frequent blood glucose monitoring and strict dietary management—let alone the multiple insulin injections at precise intervals that are required in severe cases. As such, research continues to be made into diabetes, including in Singapore.
Today, several exciting treatments are now on the horizon that can benefit diabetes patients in different ways.
What Is Diabetes?
Before we can discuss the breakthroughs made in diabetes, it helps to understand what diabetes is—which is a name given to one of two types of illness that affect how the body processes glucose (blood sugar). There are some key differences between the types. Type 1 diabetes is technically an autoimmune disorder, while type 2 diabetes is largely but not entirely a lifestyle illness.
Of those afflicted with the condition, the vast majority have type 2 diabetes and only 5% have type 1. Regardless, treatments for both types of diabetes these days primarily consist of lifestyle changes, medication, and insulin therapy, depending on the specifics of the patient.
New Treatments on the Horizon
Historically, managing diabetes has been quite labour-intensive. As successful as these methods are, managing diabetes continues to be a serious challenge because missing even one treatment could have serious consequences for patients. Fortunately, current research has led to these exciting breakthroughs that may further improve the quality of life for diabetes patients:
1. Stem Cell Therapy
Perhaps one of the more exciting developments on the horizon is the use of stem cell therapy to regenerate insulin-producing beta cells in people with type 1 diabetes. Transplanting stem cells that can develop into functional insulin-producing cells may reduce or eliminate the need for type 1 diabetes patients to do their daily insulin injections, essentially curing them of the condition and significantly boosting their quality of life.
2. CRISPR Gene Editing
CRISPR gene editing technology is being explored as a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, potentially in combination with stem cell therapy. Researchers are now aiming to correct the gene mutations responsible for abnormal insulin production, giving patients the ability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. This can get them to the point where they need insulin injections far less frequently, perhaps even effectively curing them of the disease.
3. Artificial Pancreas.
An artificial pancreas is an automated insulin delivery system that combines continuous glucose monitoring with insulin pumps to deliver insulin in response to real-time glucose levels. This system effectively mimics the function of a healthy pancreas, reducing the need for manual insulin management. While this is not a cure in the same sense as the two previously mentioned developments, these devices are already significantly reducing the burden of diabetes maintenance and providing better outcomes for patients.
4. Smart Insulin
Glucose-responsive ‘smart insulin’ is a developing innovation that may become widely available in the next few years. It’s a new type of insulin that only activates when blood sugar levels rise, otherwise remaining inactive when glucose is at normal levels. This would allow for more precise and convenient glucose control without constant injections, raising the quality of life for diabetes patients.
5. Weekly Insulin Injections
Related to smart insulin, parallel research into weekly insulin injections may soon reduce the burden of daily injections by providing a slow, consistent release of insulin throughout the week. This could help patients with their treatment adherence and help them recover precious free time.
6. Oral Insulin
Practical oral insulin is still far off into the future but it would revolutionise diabetes care by eliminating the need for injections—the biggest barrier in diabetes treatment adherence. The biggest hurdles researchers must overcome are the digestive challenges to deliver insulin effectively in pill form and dialling in the correct doses for different patients.
7. Wearable Insulin Patches
Already available in some regions, wearable insulin patches can come in two variants: ones that monitor blood glucose levels and ones that deliver insulin when necessary. Together, these can form a non-invasive and more convenient alternative to injections.
8. Gut Microbiome Therapy
Lastly, recent research into the gut microbiome has shown promise in glucose regulation, potentially reducing the treatment burdens on type 2 diabetes patients. Such interventions like faecal transplants may one day help alter gut bacteria composition in type 2 patients in such a way as to dramatically reduce their dependence on standard diabetes treatments.
The Near Future of Diabetes Treatments
These breakthroughs in diabetes treatment are set to give millions of diabetes patients a more personalised, less invasive, and potentially curative approach to their illness. As research progresses and the costs of these treatments drop, we should see the quality of life for people with diabetes improve to a level well beyond what we typically see today.
If you’re suffering from diabetes, ask your physician about these emerging treatments. Alternatively, consider applying for local trials to gain access to cutting-edge treatments and to provide researchers with the data they need to fight diabetes.
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