Des innovations technologiques au service de l'injection d'insuline

The search for new fast and long-acting insulins continues nearly a century after the discovery of insulin, in 1922. To mimic the physiological action of insulin secreted by the pancreas, which is directed to the liver via the portal vein, it is necessary to have “true long-acting” insulins, two of the basal insulins have responded during the last decade to the specification. However today, the challenge become to design new “ultrafast” and “very short-acting” insulins and/or new modes of administration in order to mimic as far as possible the physiological action of the natural prandial insulin secretion. An insulin with a fast onset and fast offset of glucose lowering effect might be particularly important in a CSII setting to further improve postprandial (PP) glucose control without the risk of late PP hypoglycemia. From now on, our knowledge of the anatomy of the skin tissue has increased considerably, and pending this decisive progress, it is necessary to make the best use of available resources. This is why the use of short (4 mm) and carefully machined needles reduces the risks associated with injection: intramuscular injection, reflux or leakage, pain. This also applies to overweight or obese diabetics who do not require longer needles.