The JDRF Artificial Pancreas Project has significantly accelerated progress towards the delivery of the first artificial pancreas (AP) systems to people with diabetes. Research progress has been exceptional with multiple studies in controlled settings demonstrating that AP systems can significantly reduce high and low blood sugar levels automatically. For people with diabetes to realize the [...]
A simple insulin-infusion warming device, called the InsuPatch, accelerates insulin delivery into the bloodstream by as much as 35 minutes. Speeding up the delivery and action of insulin and reducing the amount of time patients spend in a hyperglycemic state potentially reduces the risk of complications that result from the disease.
The closed-loop artificial pancreas, which combines an insulin pump with a glucose monitor, has been successfully tested on people in controlled hospital settings. Now, researchers believe that it is time to try this innovation in real-life environments. Last summer, JDRF formed a panel of experts to provide advice about how to bring this technology out [...]
In another key step forward on the road to an artificial pancreas, JDRF has launched a research program to speed the development of faster-acting insulin. Through the initiative, JDRF is funding investigators at leading academic institutions to test novel insulin formulations and delivery systems. The goal is to develop faster-acting insulin for use in an [...]
These developments represent a giant step forward on the path to achieving an artificial pancreas, a fully automated system that can dispense insulin to patients based on real-time changes in blood sugar levels. Even the earliest systems could bring dramatic changes in the quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes.
Continuous glucose monitors are more than simply devices of convenience for people with diabetes—they are tools that can substantially improve blood sugar control in people of all ages when used regularly, without increasing the risk of dangerous low blood sugar. The growing evidence of the benefits of CGM underscores the importance of continued research into a closed-loop artificial pancreas, a system that uses CGM data to automatically deliver the right amount of insulin through a pump.
Continuous glucose monitors are more than simply devices of convenience for people with diabetes—they are tools that can substantially improve blood sugar control when used regularly. The CGM study also underscores the importance of continued research into a closed-loop artificial pancreas, a device that uses CGM data to automatically administer appropriate doses of insulin through a pump.
Because the simulator is now FDA-approved, the process of receiving regulatory approval for human trials of closed-loop systems will be faster and more clearly defined—a significant achievement that should also accelerate the development and possible commercialization of a closed-loop artificial pancreas.
