Chinese scientists have developed an engineered probiotic that can sense changes in blood glucose and release a glucose-lowering hormone when needed, offering a potential new approach to diabetes treatment.
Researchers at East China Normal University in Shanghai engineered the oral probiotic, called GIFT, to temporarily reside in the intestine and respond to changes in glucose levels. The system is designed to release GLP-1 on demand, potentially creating an automatic feedback mechanism for blood sugar control.
Unlike conventional treatment, which relies on patients taking medication or receiving injections, the researchers describe GIFT as an orally delivered “living drug” designed to combine glucose sensing with therapeutic response.
The approach uses synthetic biology to turn a probiotic microorganism into what researchers describe as an “intelligent virtual organ.” Once delivered orally, it can detect glucose fluctuations and adjust hormone release accordingly.
Researchers said the system could provide a programmable, closed-loop method for metabolic treatment without requiring cell transplantation.
Ye Haifeng, the study’s corresponding author and a professor at East China Normal University, said GIFT combines glucose sensing with on-demand GLP-1 secretion and represents an advance in engineered probiotic living drugs.
The researchers said oral probiotics could also avoid some of the transplantation-related complications and immune concerns associated with mammalian cell-based therapies.
The findings are particularly significant given the global burden of diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that more than 530 million adults worldwide have diabetes, with the number projected to exceed 850 million by 2050.
However, the new approach remains a research development rather than an established replacement for existing diabetes treatments. Its potential for broader clinical use will depend on further testing and validation.
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