The plant-based insulin is made using lettuce.
Scientists have developed plant-based insulin that is said to be a cheaper and safer alternative to conventional hormone injections.
According to a new study published in the journal Biomaterials, led by Henry Daniell of Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, lettuce-based insulin could address many of the risks associated with traditional insulin administration.
An estimated 537 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide and while clinical insulin has been in use for several decades, it has presented several challenges.
Firstly, traditional injection methods via insulin pens can cause the hormone to enter the bloodstream so quickly that hypoglycemia – an acute condition where blood sugar levels dip below a healthy range – becomes a serious concern. Automated insulin pumps can lessen the degree of risks, but they cost a lot and not everyone with diabetes can get them.
Moreover, clinical insulin lacks one of the three peptides found in natural insulin.
Plant-based insulin
To address the drawbacks of existing insulin delivery methods, UPenn’s Daniell lab created a plant-based insulin that has all three peptides and can be taken orally.
“The risk of hypoglycemia is one of the biggest disadvantages of the current delivery system and can even result in a coma. Our insulin, given orally, has all three proteins and is delivered right to the liver. It works just like natural insulin, which minimizes the risk of hypoglycemia,” Daniell said.
This revolutionary insulin is made using a “gene gun” to embed the human insulin genes into the tough plant cell walls of lettuce where they became a part of its genetic material. The lettuce is then grown, freeze-dried and ground into a powder that can be swallowed.
Daniell’s way of making insulin is far cheaper than the conventional one, which involves complex methods and equipment. The traditional insulin also has to be purified and stored in a cold place during transportation. Meanwhile, the plant-based insulin is shelf-stable; which makes it much cheaper to store and transport.
“With this delivery system, we change the whole paradigm, not only for insulin,” Daniell explained.
“I grew up in a developing country and saw people die because they couldn’t afford drugs or vaccines. For me, affordability and global access to health care are the foundation of my work. And in this case, we are making insulin more affordable while significantly improving it. Patients can get a superior drug at a lower cost.”
The vast potential of plant proteins in medicine
Daniell, a veteran in the field has long been involved in the research of harnessing plant-based protein for medical applications.
In 2015, he led a study which demonstrated the commercial viability of a low-cost drug derived from lettuce plants for haemophilia.
He also engineered plant-based medicines to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, polio, and dental plaque.
During the pandemic, he formulated a plant-based gum that lowered the amount of COVID-19 virus found in saliva.
Share this story: Scientists develop new plant-based oral Insulin that is cheaper and safer than traditional insulin.
About The Author
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
Tobey Maguire often speaks about veganism and animal issues. Tobey Maguire, the actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy, is a vegan. He has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became a vegan in 2009. A lifelong commitment to animal rights Maguire’s decision to go vegan was motivated by his love …
Continue reading “Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know”
Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
The number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based industry increased by almost a third from April to July 2023, GlobalData reported. The plant-based food industry is booming, and this is reflected in the number of job openings in the sector. According to data from GlobalData, the number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based …
Continue reading “Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz.
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit.
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God