Researchers have been looking for new methods by which people with diabetes can regulate their insulin levels. Recently a team in Switzerland found a way to deliver insulin by playing Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. There’s a bit more to it, of course. The system also requires designer cells to produce and release insulin.
Freddie Mercury and Brian May on stage during Queen’s performance at the Rock in Rio festival, … [+]
People with diabetes don’t make enough insulin for the body to handle the glucose they get from their diet. That’s why the treatment usually involves a way to deliver insulin (although there are some other treatments available for some types of diabetes). The traditional method of giving insulin is through injections, but researchers are trying to find out if there are easier ways to increase insulin levels when needed.
One possible solution that researchers came up with is a capsule that can be implanted in the body. The capsule contains a type of designer cells that produce insulin. But how do you regulate when that insulin is released? The research team of Martin Fussenegger at ETH Zurich recently tested a way to do this with sound waves.
They used a gene from bacteria that produces a channel (a controlled gate) in the membrane of the cell that opens in response to sounds and vibrations. By inserting this gene in the insulin-producing cells, these cells could also form the soundwave-controlled membrane channels through which insulin can escape. When the team grew these cells in a dish in the lab, they were able to get the cells to release insulin when music was played near them.
Because the cells respond to movement created by the sound waves, certain types of music work better than others. A heavy bass proved to be quite effective. After trying a number of different sound sources, the researchers noticed that Queen’s “We Will Rock You” was particularly good at opening the cell’s channels for insulin to get out.
They then implanted the capsules in mice to find out if it still works when the sound has to pass through the skin. It worked, but only if the speaker was directly placed on the mice.
“Our designer cells release insulin only when the sound source with the right sound is played directly on the skin above the implant,” Fussenegger told ETH Zurich.
To rule out that general sound playing nearby wouldn’t unintentionally trigger insulin release, they also let the mice walk around in a “mouse disco” with the same music playing over speakers that weren’t directly touching them. They also ruled out ambient noise such as loud airplanes or lawn mowers.
After insulin is released from these cells, it takes about four hours for the cells to make enough new insulin for the next release, which would work for people who eat their meals on a regular schedule at least four hours apart. However, that’s looking ahead a bit because this method is not yet available to use in humans.
Don’t expect to be prescribed a rock playlist as diabetes treatment any time soon. This method was a proof of concept to see if it worked in principle. There is still a very long road ahead to test ideas such as this before they can become clinical applications, and no guarantee that the system would work well in humans in the long term. Still, it shows that researchers are always thinking about new ways to make it easier for people with diabetes to get insulin when they need it.
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Jessica Irvine is a tech enthusiast specializing in gadgets. From smart home devices to cutting-edge electronics, Jessica explores the world of consumer tech, offering readers comprehensive reviews, hands-on experiences, and expert insights into the coolest and most innovative gadgets on the market.
