A diabetes 2 drug can be switched on by blue light, and could help improve treatments for the disease.
The drug, adapted from an existing one called sulfonylurea, would be inactive under normal conditions but could be switched on using blue LEDs stuck to the skin, Imperial College London reported.
The new treatment, dubbed JB253, stimulated insulin release from pancreatic cells in the lab when hit with blue light.
"In principle, this type of therapy may allow better control over blood sugar levels because it can be switched on for a short time when required after a meal. It should also reduce complications by targeting drug activity to where it's needed in the pancreas," said Dr. David Hodson from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London. "So far, we've created a molecule that has the desired effect on human pancreatic cells in the lab. There's a long way to go before a therapy is available to patients, but this remains our ultimate goal."
Type 2 diabetes interferes with the body's control of bllod sugar levels, and can trigger serious medical events such as heart attack and stroke and damage crucial organs such as the kidneys, nerves, and retinas.
Light-reactive molecules were discovered as far back as the 19th century, but were not used for medical purposes until the past few years. These types of molecules could be extremely beneficial in the treatment of variety of diseases by allowing remote control over body processes.
"Sulfonylureas help many people to manage type 2 diabetes even though, like other medications, they can have side effects. Work on light-activated medications is still at a relatively early stage, but this is nevertheless a fascinating area of study that, with further research, could help to produce a safer, more tightly-controllable version of this important therapy," said Dr. Richard Elliott, from Diabetes U.K.
The findings were published Oct. 14 in the journal Nature Communications.
