(501e) Zwitterionic Nanogel Based Smart Controlled Release of Insulin

Currently, 285 million people are suffering from diabetes around globe, and this number is expected to increase to more than 450 million by 2030. It is reported that over 25.8 million of children and adults in the United States, 8.3% of the population, have diabetes, and that the total US economic impact was nearly $174 billion in 2007. Since insulin became available, subcutaneous injection has been for the standard treatment of diabetes for over 80 years. However, this method is painful to patients, especially for those requiring multiple injections per day. Although several new concepts were explored to deliver insulin using oral, pulmonary, nasal, ocular and rectal routes, several limitations, including slow deliver rate, no controlled release, systemic toxicity and others have prevented significant advances.

Zwitterionic carboxybetaine(CB)-based materials have been extensively studied on the biointerface and demonstrated to be highly resistant to nonspecific protein adsorption even from undiluted blood plasma and serum. Our objective is to generate a zwitterionic polymeric nanogel based smart system, which will load, deliver insulin with the nanocapsules and release insulin responding to the glucose concentration in human blood. To obtain a prolonged blood circulation time, nonfouling zwitterionic materials will be utilized to reduce nonspecific protein adsorption from blood. The blood stability and release rate will be first tested.