Oral insulin could one day replace injections for people with diabetes, new scientific discoveries suggest.

Researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan have announced the development of an insulin pill to help lower blood sugar.

For diabetics, insulin is typically administered via injection, but the pill would offer a non-invasive treatment option.

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“Insulin injections remain a daily burden for many patients,” said associate professor Shingo Ito, a researcher in the study’s press release. “Our peptide-based platform offers a new route to deliver insulin orally, and may be applicable to long-acting insulin formulations and other injectable biologics.”

The study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, tested the delivery of oral insulin by building a carrier peptide called DNP-V. This peptide helps to transport insulin through the small intestine, where protein drug absorption is usually poor.

In diabetic mice models, the researchers administered the peptide by mouth with zinc-stabilized insulin, which was formulated with zinc ions to make it more stable, according to the study.

“Insulin injections remain a daily burden for many patients.”

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The result was a rapid and significant drop in blood glucose, as well as a sustained (longer-term) decrease. The mice’s blood sugar was reduced to near-normal levels.

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When DNP-V was attached directly to insulin, the results showed enhanced absorption in the intestines and a similar glucose-lowering effect, the researchers noted.

The treatment was effective in different diabetes models, significantly reducing blood sugar spikes after meals with just one dose per day.

The findings suggest that DNP peptides could serve as flexible, adaptable platforms for delivering large-molecule drugs by mouth, the authors concluded in the study abstract.

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“This technology can simply and effectively convert injectable biopharmaceuticals into orally administrable forms, offering a promising path to practical, patient-friendly oral therapies,” they wrote.

Although the researchers are optimistic about the findings translating to larger therapeutic models, they noted that the results in mice do not guarantee the same outcome in humans, and that more research is needed.

Dr. Marc Siegel commented on this development, noting that oral insulin could make a big difference in healthcare.

“Insulin use, especially in type 1 diabetes, is sometimes difficult to regulate by injection,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “Oral use would have major advantages.”

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He added, “This is very promising provided that it works in humans, which is a big ‘if.’”

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.

Students at the University of Kent in the U.K. are calling for a shutdown in light of an active meningitis outbreak.

The demands follow multiple alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) about the outbreak.

As of March 18, the agency had announced a total of 15 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease, 12 additional potential cases and two deaths in Kent, a county in the southeast of England. The University of Kent is located in Canterbury, a historic city within Kent.

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Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

It can cause two life-threatening conditions: meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord lining) and a bloodstream infection called septicemia, which can lead to sepsis, per the above source.

Even with prompt treatment, meningococcal disease can become fatal within hours. Health agencies report a typical fatality rate of about 10% to 15%.

In response to the outbreak, students at the University of Kent launched an online petition calling for campus to be closed.

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“Students at the University of Kent are increasingly concerned about reports of meningitis and sepsis cases affecting members of the campus community,” the petition states, as posted on Change.org. “The confirmation of two deaths, along with reports of hospitalizations, has caused understandable concern among students and staff.”

The petition expressed concern that in-person exams, lectures and other campus activities are continuing amid the outbreak.

“Many students feel that they are being placed in a difficult position: attend exams and in-person activities during a period of heightened concern or prioritize their health and well-being while risking potential academic consequences,” the petition states. “Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”

“Students deserve to feel safe on campus,” the petition concluded. “We are therefore calling on the University of Kent to consider precautionary steps to prioritize the well-being of students and staff during this situation.

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Preventative antibiotic treatment is being distributed to University of Kent students, according to UKHSA, as well as to those who visited Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, between March 5 and March 7.

“A vaccination program has started for students and staff who live in or work in the halls at the University of Kent Canterbury Campus — approximately 5,000 students,” the agency noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to the university requesting comment.

Symptoms of meningococcal disease

Described by the CDC as a “rare but severe illness,” meningococcal disease most commonly causes symptoms of meningitis, including fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or altered mental status.

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It can also cause meningococcal bloodstream infection, which is marked by fever and chills, vomiting, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, severe aches and pains, diarrhea, rapid breathing or a dark purple rash, the CDC notes. 

Transmission and treatment

Meningitis infections can spread through close contact with someone who has meningococcal disease, “generally, through things like coughing or kissing, but it can also spread by being in the same household or room for extended periods of time with an individual who is infected,” Dr. Barbara Bawer, a primary care physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.

Those who have symptoms of the disease should see their primary care physician immediately, according to the doctor.

As symptoms tend to progress quickly and can be life-threatening, it is essential that the patient receives antibiotics immediately.

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“It can become fatal or dangerous very quickly — within hours — for any individual, especially if antibiotics are not initiated in a timely manner,” Bawer warned. “Even with antibiotics, meningitis can be fatal.”

She added, “This is often due to misdiagnosis, because meningitis can mimic many other illnesses.”

Infection prevention

Most cases of meningococcal disease worldwide are caused by six variations of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria — A, B, C, W, X and Y.

In the U.S., the most common variations are B, C, W and Y. There are vaccines available to protect against types A, C, W and Y (the MenACWY vaccine) and type B (MenB vaccine), according to the CDC.

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“MenACWY vaccines are routinely recommended for adolescents and for people with other risk factors or underlying medical conditions, including HIV,” the agency previously stated.

“Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”

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To reduce risk, Bawer recommends that people get vaccinated with the current meningitis vaccine as recommended by the CDC and avoid being in very closed-in spaces with others as much as possible.

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“If you know of someone who has meningitis in your household or you’ve come in contact with their oral secretions (i.e., you kissed them), then you should get preventative antibiotics,” the doctor told Fox News Digital. 

This is even more important for those who are immune-compromised or who are on medications that decrease the immune system, Bawer added.

The practice of combining cold exposure and breathwork — known as the Wim Hof Method — has gained popularity as a wellness practice, with some research suggesting benefits for stress, energy and mental clarity, though evidence for treating chronic disease remains limited.

And now, a recent study published in the journal Nature appears to support the technique’s potential health benefits.

The research included more than 400 healthy adults averaging 37 years of age, who practiced either the Wim Hof Method (WHM) or mindfulness meditation daily for about one month.

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The WHM practitioners were split into in-person and at-home groups, where one did ice baths and the other took cold showers.

The participants reported their energy, mental clarity, and stress and anxiety levels. The researchers also measured heart rate, breathing and sleep.

Participants in the breathwork and cold group had greater improvements in energy, mental clarity and ability to handle stress, benefits that were most noticeable right after their daily practice.

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The study also found that meditation reduced stress early on, but the WHM showed gradual improvements in stress levels over a longer time period. Differences in sleep, cognition and heart health measures were more subtle.

The short 29-day study period could pose a limitation in measuring long-term impacts, the researchers acknowledged. 

The participants also knew which group they were placed in, which could have influenced the self-reported results.

“I felt that this was going to make a huge difference in people,” Wim Hof told Fox News Digital. “I had a lot of anecdotal evidence, but that doesn’t make it scientific.”

What is the Wim Hof Method?

The Wim Hof Method is comprised of three pillars: cold, breathing and mindset.

“It is a combination of the three … and when they come together, they reinforce each other and become stronger,” he said. “Use the cold well, and you bring the immune system, the energy system and your cardiovascular system to an optimum [state].”

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Breathing has been shown to lower inflammation, which is the main driver of disease, according to Wim Hof. Research has also shown that a change in mindset can re-circuit the brain to handle stress more efficiently.

Lowering stress levels is crucial to improving health, he noted, as high cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) and inflammation are drivers of chronic disease.

Lead study author Dr. Jemma King, of the University of Queensland School of Psychology in Australia, said she entered the world’s largest Wim Hof study with a “healthy dose of scientific skepticism.”

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“People are really anxious, people are really burnt out, and the world is very destabilized at the moment,” she told Fox News Digital. “People are increasingly dependent on healthcare systems, and profits keep growing and people keep getting sicker.”

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“We’re glued to screens; we’re reaching for pills every time life feels hard. And so we really wanted to [find out] — is there a better way?”

Although meditation is an important tool for some, an alternative method that involves more activity may be a better option for those with “busy brains,” according to the researcher.

“You’re not sitting there just accepting energy,” she said. “You can actually face it head on, and you can overcome your aversion to the cold, which is very invigorating.”

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“If you choose to do small doses of the right kind of stress, it doesn’t break you down. It actually makes you stronger,” King added.

Scientifically, breathwork can help flush the brain of toxins, clearing mental fog while increasing levels of the beneficial chemicals adrenaline and dopamine, she noted.

“We also found something really shocking and unexpected: The people doing the Wim Hof Method became more willing to speak up at work,” King shared. “They were more likely to raise hard issues or have a voice or take interpersonal risks.”

“If you train yourself to step into the cold water every morning, you kind of override that voice that says, ‘Don’t do that,’” she added. “This bravery, this toughness that you train every morning, starts to show up everywhere else in your life.”

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Starting safely

For beginners, Hof recommends simply stepping into a cold shower at home, which activates the cardiovascular system and boosts energy.

“Take the cold shower, go into that breathing, and suddenly you’ll feel an innate power awakening,” he said. “That is the nervous system, and you have control over that.”

Cold exposure may not be safe for everyone, especially those with certain cardiovascular conditions, such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart disease or Raynaud’s syndrome, according to Harvard Health.

Those with underlying conditions should get a physician’s approval before embarking on a cold plunge or another mode of cold exposure therapy, experts advise.

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“[For those who] have conditions, I say start with breathing alone,” Hof recommended. “Breathing trains the nervous system like weightlifting trains the muscles.”

“Know that you are built to have willful control over your health, happiness and strength,” he added.