Human trials are expected to start in two years on an implantable artificial pancreas that uses an elegantly simple materials solution to regulate insulin based on blood glucose levels, according to a news release from Leicester, England–based De Montfort University, where the device was developed.
The goal is to have Britain's National Health Service implanting the device within a decade.
Major medical device companies including Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson have been working on "smart" insulin pumps outside the body that could act as an artificial pancreas, adjusting insulin levels automatically based on glucose sensor readings and computer algorithms that anticipate the user's behavior.
Joan Taylor, PhD, at De Montfort University came up with another strategy that uses a proprietary material inside a device that would be implanted inside the human body, with insulin supplies replenished every two weeks. Here's how the university describes it:
"The implant contains a reservoir of insulin kept in place by a special gel barrier. When glucose levels in the body rise, the gel liquefies and releases the insulin into the body, mimicking the normal pancreas. As the insulin lowers the glucose levels, the gel reacts by hardening again and preserving the reservoir. It would eliminate the need for diabetics to inject insulin up to four times a day. The artificial pancreas will help all Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetics and some suffering Type 2 who need daily injections. Professor Taylor has spent 20 years developing the device, which requires no electronics. This means the risk of rejection by the body is minimised."
