Last September, results from a JDRF-funded study were announced by Sansum Diabetes Research Institute and JDRF. This study addresses one of the key limitations of early artificial pancreas systems – the challenge of mealtime dosing of insulin. This is because insulin delivered through the skin by a pump or injections works much slower than insulin that is made in the pancreas.  Early systems will only be partially automated and require the user to dose insulin separately to cover mealtime food intake.  This study is the first successful clinical research trial using a partially-automated artificial pancreas system in conjunction with rapid-acting inhaled insulin used at mealtime. This represents a groundbreaking potential advancement in the treatment of T1D. It establishes that the disease can be managed by combining automated delivery of precise amounts of insulin around the clock, based on real-time glucose measurements without the need for patient intervention coupled with the swift delivery of rapid-acting inhaled insulin during mealtimes. The artificial pancreas system and inhaled insulin work together to replicate the normal, healthy function of the human pancreas. This combination therapy has the ability to greatly improve the regulation of all day blood glucose levels. This study addresses one of the big questions in artificial pancreas research, which is, ‘How do we manage meals with the near-term artificial pancreas systems?’  Larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.