inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

Department of Biotechnology
Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

Repurposing an Antifungal Drug as an Effective Insulin Aggregation Inhibitor.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

March 1, 2026

Journal

Chemistry, an Asian journal

Volume/Issue

21/6

ISSN

1861-471X

Recombinant insulin, used to treat diabetes, has an enormous impact on diabetes management. However, this essential hormone is prone to aggregation during transportation and storage, reducing its efficacy in glycemic control. To prevent insulin aggregation, here we repurposed an antifungal drug called Nystatin (Nys) identified through a virtual screening of 5500 FDA-approved drugs. Nys effectively inhibited the aggregation of insulin under physiological conditions. Nys-treated insulin was completely soluble, retained its native secondary structure, and was nontoxic to HEK293T cells. Notably, this drug completely abrogated fibrillation of fast-acting insulin formulations Aspart and Lispro, as well as slow-acting insulin, Glargine. The ability of insulin formulations to activate the insulin receptor was maintained after Nys treatment. The efficacy of Nys-treated formulations in maintaining glycemic control was further validated in a diabetic rat model. Thus, this FDA-approved drug has the potential to be used in commercial insulin formulations to maintain stability and activity while preventing its aggregation for an extended period.

Alternate Journal

Chem Asian J

PubMed ID

41875250

PubMed Central ID

N/A

Authors

Das A
Dalabehera NR
Pahal S
Raj A
Vemula PK
Saraogi I

Keywords

Insulin
Drug Repositioning
Diabetes Mellitus
Hypoglycemic Agents
Experimental
Protein Aggregates
Sprague-Dawley
Animals
Male
Humans
HEK293 Cells
Antifungal Agents
Rats
Nystatin