An implantable device could enable injection-free control of diabetes
news.mit.edu
news.mit.edu
https://www.inknowvation.com/sbir/companies/solgene-therapeu...
“ Solgene Therapeutics' patented drug-delivery technology enables the encapsulation, in a porous ceramic material, of living cells that secrete therapeutic compounds. After implantation, the material shields the encapsulated cells from the host's immune system while allowing passage of nutrients and therapeutic cell-secreted compounds. Implanted cells continue to function, thus mimicking natural processes. Solgene believes it can create competitive advantages in under-served biotech markets. It seeks revenues through alliances to commercialize hard-to-deliver, cell-secreted, large-molecule therapies. Solgene proved its concept by overcoming diabetes in diabetic mice. Target applications include delivery of livestock therapies, growth factors for bone healing, and a cell-secreted HIV therapy.”
It does make you wonder what else could be done: i.e. could we implant some cells which produce antivenom?
Seriously, why not extract O2 from the bloodstream? Is it that difficult? I don't doubt they considered this option; I just wonder what the issues are.
I do know which one is safer, as to gain access to blood you have to gain access to a vein, likely by inserting a small tube made of [something] inside the vein, expect it to never break down and enter the bloodstream, become compromised, or be hit with an impact and tear the vein open to create internal bleeding. Then you also have to have a system to get rid of the waste blood (everything but the small amount of oxygen you want) all entirely within a closed system implanted into the arm, thigh, etc.
Artery - not a lot of O2 in veins.
But other than nitpicking defensively, I agree those good points. I'd still like to see what any actual bio-whatever engineers have to say.
> Another possibility, which could prevent the need for immunosuppressive drugs, is to encapsulate the transplanted cells within a flexible device that protects the cells from the immune system. However, finding a reliable oxygen supply for these encapsulated cells has proven challenging.
Hemoglobin is a large molecule. It is difficult to create a barrier that allows it to pass without also allowing in anti-bodies. Trying to extract the oxygen outside of the barrier and that pass just the oxygen through is theoretically another approach. But at that point, doing the same thing with water instead of hemoglobin is just easier.
This will also generate hydrogen. Is there any mention in the paper about what happens to the waste hydrogen? I can't get past the paywall and I'm curious
It seems that bacteria in the human gut already produce some hydrogen gas and that breath contains measurable levels of it[0]. This was news to me, but means that dumping a tiny amount of H2 into the body is probably fine.
[0] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-013-7606-6
Most people's gut already produces hydrogen (normal levels at or below 16ppm in breath)
I'm curious if it'd just do the same thing that CO2 does. That might all just be governed by physics and there probably isn't much chemistry involved in that being expelled after it's generated in cells?
I looked up the solubility of H2 in water, and it is _much_ worse than CO2's, so maybe that does suggest it'd at least not use the same mechanisms to escape, not sure.
Energy reciever is completely inside the body and the energy transmitter completely outside. Piercing skin for prolonged times is generally a very bad idea because it's a channel for infection.
Once a day lol. Tell me you don’t know anything about Type 1 diabetes without telling me you don’t know anything about type 1 diabetes.
Thanks!
That’s after 3-5 times a day finger pricks too.
Now, she just has the pain of the libre once a fortnight and pump every few days (along with finger pricks when the libre is out).
People do not realise how all consuming T1D is - she has to be on the ball all the time. If she isn’t, then her numbers screw up and she can’t drive (or live, tbh).
This project could make a huge difference to her life - but there are always 5-10 years away
Have you checked androidaps or loopkit?
She’s waiting for a closed loop system from her hospital - should be within the next few months (omnipod is due an upgrade). That said, I’ll check out androidaps and loop kit, thank you!
Those are the pieces I‘m using on my iPhone:
https://nightscout.github.io/ -> to store historical data
https://github.com/Artificial-Pancreas/iAPS -> to connect the libre and pump and control the pump and make the close loop
The libre3 and G7 seem to be leaps and bounds better than anything else I've used (G4, G5, Guardian 3).
I hope you two find something that works well!
He said confidently lol.
I won’t give up multiple daily injections (Lantus morning and night, Humalog with meals and for corrections) unless I absolutely have to. Diagnosed in 2014 at around 30 years old. Been 5.5-5.9 A1C for the past ~6 years. Maybe one scary low a year and able to keep up with my marathon running and live a semi-normal life.
No clue why I’d want to mess with that to try some hacker project.
Long story short, NPH insulins for medium length (about 18h to a day but still lots of variation) was available since the 50's and was usually combined with normal human analog in either a mixture taken twice a day or in separate doses. I was on the twice a day regime of mixtard for most of the 90's.
I still know T1Ds who continue to use mixed insulin, because it works for them.
There are dozens of us! Dozens!
There are so many things that affect blood sugar both in the short and long run. T1D treatment is constant correcting for the past hours, not just the moment and future.
I wish it was easier to communicate this to people and journalists, because there are so many misconceptions like the one quoted here that makes T1D an even more invisible disability.