Prior to the discovery and use of insulin as a treatment for diabetes in the 1920s, people living with the disease had few treatment options, and essentially no good ones: bloodletting, starvation diets and various potions deceptively marketed as cures. 

Today, countless people have been able to bring their diabetes under control through a combination of exercise, dietary adjustments and insulin injections. However, though often effective, these approaches aren’t always practical. 

As diabetes management has advanced, new technologies have emerged that address the need for more practical and convenient treatment options. Here we’ll look at some of the current biotechnology helping individuals with diabetes live healthier and less disrupted lives. 

Implantable Devices: The Future of Diabetes Care 

Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) 

A CGM assesses the wearer’s glucose every few minutes and tracks this information. These biotechnology devices evaluate the level of glucose in the fluid between cells, not the blood itself, but the numbers are generally comparable.  

The device has a small sensor that can be inserted under the skin of the abdomen or arm and kept in place by an adhesive patch. An implantable sensor that goes fully inside the body is also available. Both types of sensors require replacement at regular intervals.  

Every CGM has a transmitter that sends glucose data wirelessly to an application on a smartphone, an insulin pump or another receiver device. It’s worth noting, however, that some medicines and vitamins can affect the readings of these devices.  

Unnamed Bioelectronic Prototype  

Type 1 diabetes causes the body’s immune system to attack islet cells inside the pancreas, impeding its insulin production. A bioelectronic prototype implant device developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about 1 inch long at its widest dimension, both shields the islet cells from immune system attacks and creates oxygen that preserves the cells long enough to create insulin. 

This biotechnology device has some challenges to overcome but shows promise. If viable, it offers the potential to eliminate injections and other tasks associated with managing insulin for Type 1 diabetes patients.  

The Artificial Pancreas: Technology Mimicking Nature  

Your pancreas creates insulin. But what happens when it doesn’t, as with Type 1 diabetes? A closed loop or “artificial pancreas” can take over that responsibility.  

This all-in-one diabetes management system is not like a transplant, where an unhealthy organ is replaced with a healthy one from a donor. Instead, the patient has two devices — a CGM and an insulin pump — attached to the outside of their abdomen.  

These devices work in tandem to keep the patient’s insulin at an optimal level. The individual does not need to take any action, as the devices function automatically, allowing them to carry on normal activities without stopping to check or replenish their insulin. 

The key difference and benefit between a CGM and a closed-loop system is that the latter uses the data it gathers to automatically deliver the necessary amount of insulin via the insulin pump.  

This biotechnology system benefits not only working adults with busy schedules but also children with diabetes who can’t manage the injection regimen themselves or may understandably prefer not to undergo it at all.  

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