Scientists were surprised to discover that when pure DNA was injected into the bloodstream it was not always destroyed by the body's immune system but that it remained functional and could still act as the blueprint for making important chemicals in the body.
Scientists at the Institute of Medical Sciences at Aberdeen University have taken the gene that controls the production of insulin in humans, made millions of copies of it and injected these into rats. Tests showed that human insulin was subsequently secreted into the rat's bloodstream.
The research scientists at Aberdeen do not understand how the DNA is taken up by the cells and incorporated into their own genes but the fact that it does happen is very encouraging and could lead to diabetics making their own insulin in their bodies.
