In the near future, there are chances that diabetics would no longer need injections to receive insulin. The hope of needle-free insulin shots comes from a research by Australian scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne.

The researchers have discovered how the insulin hormone binds to the insulin receptor which scientists have been trying to solve for 20 years.

Associate Professor Mike Lawrence of WEHI explained that the team came up with the first 3D picture of how insulin interacts with its receptor, a large protein on the surface of cells that the insulin hormone binds to. The binding is required for cells to take sugar from the blood as energy.

He explained that insulin controls the levels of glucose in the body, but for type 1 and type 2 diabetics, the process breaks down. In type 1, the pancreas fails to produce insulin which results in high blood pressure and the need to have daily insulin shots, while in type 2, the cells do not respond properly to insulin, causing elevated sugar levels.

Mr Lawrence said that the research team found that insulin and its receptor rearrange when the two come into contact. A piece of insulin folds out and key pieces of the receptor move to engage the insulin hormone. He described the process as a molecular handshake.

He said that with the new discovery, it could lead to new ways to deliver insulin to diabetics other than through needle.

The WEHI study was published in the latest edition of Nature. Latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated there are one million Australians diagnosed with diabetes at some stage in their life.

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