Scientists Develop New Glucose Monitoring Procedures

BALTIMORE, MD – With the development of a new procedure for measuring glucose levels, painful skin pricks could soon become a thing of the past for diabetics. Measuring glucose levels in tears through a probe in the patient’s contact lens is the applied goal of research conducted at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute’s (UMBI) Medical Biotechnology Center.

Dr. Chris D. Geddes, associate professor at UMBI, and post-doctoral researcher Ramachandram Badugu have synthesized a new boronic acid containing compound that is more sensitive to glucose in tears than previously known compounds. By embedding a new ultra-sensitive fluorescent probe into commercially available contact lenses, diabetics and caregivers will be able to monitor blood glucose levels. This non-invasive detection system will facilitate more effective control of glucose levels and provide a warning when levels are either too high or too low.

Although no human trials have begun, tests with custom-built laboratory “eyes” have shown great promise in being able to accurately sense glucose levels under physiological conditions. The use of lenses would also make it easier for caregivers to determine glucose levels in the elderly or in children.

UMBI’s research, done in conjunction with Dr. Joseph R. Lakowicz from the Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, was recently reviewed in Nature Materials 3, 76 (2004).

“This work demonstrates how scientific discoveries in the academic arena can help create medical solutions to meet societal needs,” says Dr. Jennie Hunter-Cevera, president of UMBI. “While a new product has not yet been brought to market using our patent-pending technology, our research is helping to lead the way to new user-friendly means to check human glucose levels.”

Diabetes is the cause of a myriad of long-term health problems, including vascular diseases, blindness, and kidney failure. Its incidence is increasing with an increased prevalence of obesity. Long-term effects can be minimized with strict management of glucose levels, but the current painful blood-testing regimens are difficult to follow, especially for children and their caregivers. A non-invasive and continuous method for monitoring glucose levels would be an incredible breakthrough for the management of this chronic disease.

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