Since 2009, team Chen Keping from School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University has tried to find a new method to evaluate the efficacy of oral insulin preparation by establishing silkworm diabetes model, which is completely different from the international research on packaging and modification of oral insulin. After more than five years of research, the team successfully invented oral insulin reagent, applied for and obtained the national invention patent authorization.
According to Chen Keping, this study mainly used Bacillus subtilis as a carrier to recombine proinsulin gene into Bacillus subtilis through biotechnology. The recombinant Bacillus subtilis is directly taken orally for intestinal digestion and absorption. After oral administration, probiotics proliferate in the body and express proinsulin at the same time, which can achieve the effect of a small amount of oral administration and the amplification of proinsulin index. Oral insulin has good hypoglycemic effect on diabetic mice.
"The change of living standard has also changed the microbial community in human intestine." Chen Keping believes that probiotics as a carrier can adjust the balance of intestinal microbial community, which has a certain hypoglycemic effect, and the fusion expression of proinsulin has a dual role. Bacillus subtilis is also a stable probiotic, which is acid-resistant, alkali-resistant and high temperature-resistant, with low production cost and convenient storage and transportation. It is understood that the preparation method of oral insulin authorized by the team is also the first oral insulin invention patent approved by probiotics in China. (Correspondent Wei Wu)