AN UNDER-skin implant could reverse type 1 diabetes, a study shows.
The thread-like device contains pancreatic cells that release insulin in a pocket under the skin, Cornell University researchers said.
GettyAn under-skin implant could reverse type 1 diabetes, a study shows[/caption]
The Subcutaneous Host-Enabled Alginate THread (SHEATH) could one day replace insulin injections, they said.
Professor Minglin Ma said: “Over the years, I receive a lot of emails and requests from parents and patients saying: ‘Hey, my baby was diagnosed with Type 1, can you help us?’
“It’s a very bad disease, and a lot of children have it. So we are really serious about pushing this into something clinically applicable, something that’s impactful.”
Around 220,000 Brits live with type 1 diabetes, including actor James Norton and former Prime Minister Theresa May.
The lifelong condition destroys cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin, which helps control blood sugar levels.
Patients normally have to monitor their blood sugar throughout the day and inject themselves with the hormone to keep levels in check.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, there is nothing you can do to prevent yourself or others developing type 1 diabetes.
There is currently no cure but researchers are currently working on ways to develop new treatments.
The latest study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, looked at the SHEATH to see how well it worked in mice.
The device is implanted by placing nylon catheters under the skin for four to six weeks — long enough for blood vessels to form around them.
The catheters are then replaced with the 10cm device, leaving the surrounding veins and arteries intact.
Professor Ma said: “That channel is a perfect fit for our device — like a hand in a glove.
“It can be done as an outpatient procedure, so you don’t have to stay in the hospital. It can be done under local anaesthesia.”
Implanting the device in diabetic mice saw their condition reverse without the need for immunosuppression, researchers found.
Some mice saw improvements in blood sugar for more than 190 days.
Researchers hope the device could be able to last from two to five years before needing to be replaced in humans.