1. While it looks like there may be benefits to pork insulin there are a few questions that come to my mind:

1) Didn't some people have allergic reactions to porcine and bovine insulin? I was diagnosed in the 90's so there really wasn't much information on it, but how big of a problem was that really?
2) How variable is the potency of insulin derived from animal sources vs rDNA origin? Is there better control over the end product when this stuff is created in a lab?
3) What is the action profile of the animal derived insulins? I ask could we be limiting ourselves to an insulin that doesn't really match our food intake? I think most people have found that they prefer faster acting analogs (Novolog, Humalog, and Aphidra over Regular) and longer acting insulins that provide a truer basel source of insulin (Lantus and Levemir vs. NPH).

Perhaps we should be looking to modify rDNA based insulin based on something in porcine insulin. Is there a way to get the benefits of porcine insulin with the tools we have for manipulating human insulin?

Posted at 10:49AM on Apr 17th 2007 by Emily

2. Hi Emily.........Earlier studies when "Human Insulin" just began to appear in the Market were studied as comparisons in action to each other. It was found that there was less Hypoglycemic Awareness in the Insulin Analogue group compared to the Porcine or/Porcine/Bovine Insulin Group of patients.
In addition, what is missing from the Insulin Analogues, are C-Peptides that have been found to work "together" with Insulin, rather than just being a vestigial by-product of it. C-Peptides have been shown to be involved with energy formation within the cell and in addition, his neuron-protective within cellular membranes as well as having properties to help repair damage/complications resulting from Diabetes. There are Studies that you can access going back to the 1970's that will support what I have mentioned.
The reason why the Insulin Analogues became popular and is now widely available are many. Some of them are:
1. As you mentioned, some patients developed an allergic reaction to the Porcine or Porcine/Bovine Insulins.
2. There were fears that the supply of insulin would not meet the needs of people needing it.
3. Some cultures do not use any Pork products or derivatives.
4. Many 3rd World Countries did not have any Insulins available at all or they were in short supply resulting in the Deaths of many people.
5. It was an expensive and Time costly procedure to extract Insulin from Animal sources.
6. It would be more profitable to create Insulin Analogues because in the "long-run", it would be cheaper as well as plentiful.
If you were to ask people w/Diabetes who had started on Animal Derived Insulins than had to switch to Insulin Analogues how they felt or did they experience any change, many of them would report a change that was not always favorable.
Yes, Insulin Analogues work faster and are more immediate in action, but that can be created with just injecting an Animal Derived Insulin earlier. More importantly, Insulin Analogues do not contain C-Peptide which is VITAL in Diabetes Treatment as well as for the prevention of Complications which is a realistic part of this Disease.
You can read more about C-Peptide by going to my Blog Site:
bettercell.blogspot.com

Posted at 12:25PM on Apr 17th 2007 by BetterCell

3. Thanks for the info, BetterCell! Although I am not yet sure which I would chose (I don't eat meat for one thing), but I am disappointed that animal insulins aren't even an available option in the U.S. anymore, especially since the reasons were probably economic. True, you can import them, but that is a lot of legwork, and people should have the choice.

Posted at 1:14PM on Apr 17th 2007 by Emily

4. Yes, the "option" as to what kind of insulin to use should be made available.
Even if you are a Vegan, I am sure that C-Peptide can either be added to the Insulin Analogues or even better, a separate vial created similar to Symlin(Amylin) that is now available for Diabetes that slows Digestion and Absorption of Food.
It can be done......and again it is all about$$$$$, nothing else.

Posted at 1:27PM on Apr 17th 2007 by BetterCell

5. Just a response to Emily: I can certainly relate to your concerns, but I would just note that one need not use animals in order to produce porcine insulin. After all, human pancreases are not ground up to make so-called human insulin, rather they are synthetic versions created using recombinant DNA technology. Therefore, one could argue that manufacturers could also make rDNA-origin porcine insulin, too.

While rDNA porcine insulin would also be lacking in c-peptide and amylin. Patients in the U.S. can buy synthetic amylin (known as SYMLIN), but c-peptide is not even offered.

Posted at 1:39PM on Apr 17th 2007 by Scott

6. Hey Scott,

I totally agree, and I believe that is what I was trying to say in my first comment, however inarticulately. I guess now I am just curious how many of the differences between porcine, bovine, and human insulin is due to the difference in the structure of the actual insulin molecule, vs what is due to all the "impurities" in the mix, which may be beneficial molecules, like the C-peptide.

Thanks, Emily

Posted at 4:10PM on Apr 17th 2007 by Emily

7. My, my! Usually the Diabetes Blog is quite tame. Sedate, really. I got a big kick out of this post - thanks! Keep it up! www.marksdailyapple.com

Posted at 6:04PM on Apr 17th 2007 by Sara

8. Yeah I love the discussion happening here.... exactly what I try to encourage on my blog at http://chrissieinblegium.blogspot.com ! I spoke with my endo just yesterday about the lack of c-peptides in currently available insulins, in my case humalog. His quick answer stating that they have absolutely no importance REALLY ANNOYED ME!

Posted at 9:17AM on Apr 19th 2007 by Chrissie in Belgium

9. Hi Allie, Emily, BetterCell, Scott, Sara, Chrissie in Belgium & AnyOne else;

In respect of Allie's blog: www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/17/is-human-synthetic-insulin-a-cock-block/

Since 1983, Diabetics, on human insulin, have suspected the there is a lack of gradual WARNING of hypoglycemia onset ... ie it comes suddenly without notice as if in a dream ... an illusion? [ref: www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/16/customer-for-life-but-only-what-they-want-to-sell/#comments post#2]...

If You drive out of control on human insulin ... apparently it's all your fault eg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1751004.stm

This 1991 'Poleish' study apparently 'proved' that the 1983 introduction, 8 years before, of human insulin [study specifically restricted to "intravenously"] ... apparently gave Diabetics INJECTING human insulin the same 'WARNING signs' of hypoglycemia / hypos as pig insulin AND that any illusion otherwise is just an illusion ... ie Guys & Girls who suspected human insulin gave less head warning of hypoglycemia were under an illusion...

Apparently prolactinaemia is associated with higher than 'normal' prolactin levels and those higher than 'normal' prolactin levels are apparently associated with increased / onset of a rapid heart rate, a chilly feeling in both sexes ... AND impotence in Guys and vaginal dryness & headaches in Girls; ref: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=Mail&DB=pubmed;

The apparent advantage of purified pig insulin, which apparently is in the form of proinsulin, which apparently includes a number of amino acids and a molecule called C-peptide [ http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/21/c-peptide-the-path-to-enlightenment-of-diabetic-complications/] is increased awareness of impotence in Guys and vaginal dryness & headaches in Girls ... and more seriously an increased HEART rate ... adrenalin to the rescue ... providing You are free from ANYdrugTREATED 'beta blocker' [an adrenaline blocking 'treatment'] ... in which case You're probably proper *ucked.

Clearly, increased awareness of impotence by Guys and an increased awareness of vaginal dryness & headaches by Girls may be a very beneficial 'gradual' warning sign of having overdosed on insulin ["insulin induced hypoglycemia"] eg because it makes driving much safer and clearly should be advocated by the FMCSA as a 'warning sign' and at the very least ... a warning to 'slow down and pull over' http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/03/29/my-friend-jeff-the-trucker/ ... in other words forewarned helps keeps You and other Drivers ALIVE.

However those overdosing on human insulin [with human insulin antibodies & without C-peptide] may miss the warning signs that could save their lives ... the illusion that everything is ok, the illusion of their potentcy, hydration and clearheadedness, the illusion that They are 'all right'.

So Guys next time You feel a little low You probably are.

Warm thanks, Nick Dynes Gracey, BSc(Hons) Medical Biochemistry, Birmingham University, UK, WATerian c/o www.TheDiabetesBlog.com @ 18:51hrs THU.21.APR.2007.

ps... 'cock-block' definitions c/o Allie's ref: www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cock+block

A motor vehicle maneuver, usually done by insecure twenty-something males (who think that everybody wants to race them) and other ignorant people, designed to prevent someone from changing lanes in traffic eg...

1.) At the club, Sal was was about to get Lisa's phone number, when Nathan came up cock-blocked him by asking him if he found a job yet. He made it even worse when he reminded Sal that they had to hurry up and catch the last bus home. Lisa rolled her eyes and walked away.

2.) I realized that my exit was coming up so I began to change lanes, but that ricer cock-blocked me

3.) The traffic on the highway was hell, mostly because of that soccer mom driving the minivan in the far left lane, pacing and matching speeds with the semi in the middle lane. She cock-blocked us all.

pps... The 1991 study has the word 'tachycardia' in brackets as if it is other than important and what does it mean to the average Reader ... how related to Driver's tachiometer? or in LayMans' terms this vital warning sign c/o pig insulin is ... a rapid HEART rate [like when You are in LOVE].

Posted at 3:22PM on Apr 21st 2007 by Nicholas Dynes Gracey

10. Comment #9 above as related to comment #1 as follows...

http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/05/charges-dropped-against-mr-universe/#comments

Warm thanks; Nick

Posted at 11:50AM on Jun 5th 2007 by Nicholas Dynes Gracey