Researchers say they have completed the first successful test run of an artificial pancreas, according to a recent article published by Reuters. The test delivered both insulin and the hormone glucagon and helped the 11 test patients maintain close-to-normal blood sugar levels over a 24 hour period.
People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce the hormone insulin, which is used to regulate the levels of sugar in the blood. Therefore, they have to take multiple insulin shots a day or rely on an externally worn insulin pump, which is a device that delivers both a steady drip of insulin and larger doses on command. While insulin is the hormone that is most associated with diabetes, the disease also impacts alpha cells that produce glucagon, which is used to raise blood sugar levels.
As most diabetics know, achieving normal blood sugar levels is a delicate balancing act. Too little insulin could mean a high blood sugar reading, which contributes to the long-term complications and, in extreme cases, can lead to death. Too much insulin could lead to a severe low blood sugar level, which can result in loss of consciousness and possibly death. Throw exercise and other factors that can impact blood sugar into the mix and suddenly creating an artificial pancreas that prevents both high and low blood sugars becomes a monumental challenge.
However, researchers have been working on the artificial pancreas, which attempts to mimic the actual pancreas, for some time. Currently, the artificial pancreas is made up of a blood sugar monitor, two pumps and a laptop. A computer algorithm receives data from the blood sugar monitor and feeds that info into the computer software. Unlike many past tests, researchers added a small dose of glucagon to the mix.
After testing on pigs, the researchers got the go-ahead to test with 11 humans. During the first test, 5 of the 11 patients needed to drink orange juice to bring their blood sugar levels up, although they did not experience hypoglycemia, the term used to describe when blood sugar levels fall to a certain level. These 5 patients absorbed and metabolized insulin more slowly than the other 6. During the most recent trial with the same 11 people, researchers adjusted the computer algorithm. All the patients experienced basically normal blood sugar levels for a 24-hour period, even after eating three high-carb meals, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.
Despite the progress, researchers still have a lot of work ahead of them. The need to make the system portable, test it on patients moving around and exercising, and find a pump that can include both hormones effectively.
The researchers are planning longer trials of the newly-tweaked artificial pancreas and, if successful, hope to gain Food & Drug Administration approval in as few as seven years.
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