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Scientists have created a drug for Type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, which they hope will improve treatment of the disease.

Diabetes drugs that promote the release of insulin from the pancreas can sometimes cause side effects due to their actions on other organs such as the brain and heart. Some can also stimulate too much insulin release, causing blood sugar levels to drop too low. To help create better drugs, researchers part-funded by the European Research Council at Imperial College London and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich adapted an existing type of drug called sulfonylurea so that it changes shape when exposed to blue light.

The drug would be inactive under normal conditions, but a patient could in theory switch it on using blue LEDs stuck to the skin. Only a small amount of light would need to penetrate the skin to change the drug’s shape and turn it on. This change is reversible, so the drug switches off again when the light goes off. The researchers demonstrated that the prototype drug, known as JB253, stimulates insulin release from pancreatic cells in the lab when exposed to blue light.

Speaking about the study, lead researcher Dr David Hodson, of Imperial College London, said: “In principle, this type of therapy may allow better control over blood sugar levels because it can be switched on for a short time when required after a meal. It should also reduce complications by targeting drug activity to where it’s needed in the pancreas.

“So far, we’ve created a molecule that has the desired effect on human pancreatic cells in the lab. There’s a long way to go before a therapy is available to patients, but this remains our ultimate goal.”

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.