Extending the Lifespan of 'Diabetes Treatment' by Binding with Albumin

▲Diabetes causes fatal complications. [Photo by Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a technology that extends the lifespan of blood sugar-regulating hormones by utilizing albumin, a blood protein, and Escherichia coli. The research team expects this technology to be applied in the development of long-lasting diabetes treatments.

The research team led by Professor Inchang Kwon from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 28th that they succeeded in extending the half-life of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) by using albumin and Escherichia coli.

Special E. coli + Albumin + GLP-1 = Extended Half-life of Blood Sugar Hormone

1. Schematic diagram of inserting a functional group to bind albumin at a specific site of GLP-1 into a specific site of the recombinant protein. 2. Binding of GLP-1 and albumin. 3. Separation of the GLP-1 and albumin conjugate using protease.

The research team succeeded in binding albumin, a protein abundantly present in blood, with GLP-1, a peptide drug component used for diabetes treatment, by utilizing Escherichia coli.

The GLP-1 bound by the research team showed a half-life approximately 160 times longer than that of conventional GLP-1 due to the long half-life characteristic of albumin. The half-life refers to the time it takes for the concentration of proteins or drugs in the body to reduce by half. The half-life of conventional GLP-1 is less than 3 minutes, which is very short.

Additionally, through cell experiments and glucose tolerance tests on mice, the research team discovered that the half-life of GLP-1 varies depending on the position of albumin. They also confirmed that recombinant protein technology using special Escherichia coli allows for easy production of long peptide drugs.

Potential to Reduce the Suffering of Diabetes Patients

GLP-1 and albumin conjugates increase the half-life in the body through various mechanisms.

The research team anticipated that this study would extend the half-life of diabetes treatments and make drug production easier. Consequently, it is expected to drastically reduce treatment duration, costs, and patient suffering.

Diabetes, one of the most common diseases among Koreans, is a condition where the concentration of glucose in the blood (blood sugar level) remains high. Persistent high blood sugar levels can cause various complications such as retinal diseases, kidney diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, making blood sugar management crucial for diabetic patients.

Professor Inchang Kwon of GIST stated, "The significance of this research lies in confirming the possibility of optimizing drug efficacy by increasing the half-life through the binding of GLP-1 and albumin and by changing the albumin binding position." He added, "In the future, recombinant protein technology using Escherichia coli is expected to be widely applied not only in pharmaceutical research but also in biocatalyst research aimed at addressing climate change and energy problems."

The research results were published in Pharmaceutics, an international journal in the field of pharmacy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.