Researchers develop under-the-skin implant to treat Type 1 diabetes
Scientists have developed a new implantable device that has the
potential to change the way Type 1 diabetics receive insulin. The
thread-like implant, or SHEATH (Subcutaneous Host-Enabled Alginate
THread), is installed in a two-step process that ultimately leads to the
deployment of “islet devices,” which are derived from the cells that
produce insulin in our bodies naturally.
First, the scientists figured out a way to insert nylon catheters under
the skin, where they remain for up to six weeks. After insertion, blood
vessels form around the catheters which structurally support the islet
devices that are placed in the space when the catheter gets removed. The
newly implanted 10-centimeter-long islet devices secrete insulin via
islet cells that form around it, while also receiving nutrients and
oxygen from blood vessels to stay alive.
The implantation technique was designed and tested by researchers at
Cornell and the University of Alberta. Cornell’s Minglin Ma, a Professor
of Biological and Environmental Engineering, created the first
implantable polymer in 2017 dubbed TRAFFIC (Thread-Reinforced Alginate
Fiber For Islets enCapsulation), which was designed to sit in a
patient’s abdomen. In 2021, Ma’s team developed an even more robust
implantable device that proved it could control blood sugar levels in
mice for six months at a time.
The current problem with SHEATH is its long-term application in
patients. “It’s very difficult to keep these islets functional for a
long time inside of the body… because the device blocks the blood
vessels, but the native islet cells in the body are known to be in
direct contact with vessels that provide nutrients and oxygen,” Ma said.
Because the islet devices eventually need to be removed, the researchers
are still working on ways to maximize the exchange of nutrients and
oxygen in large-animal models — and eventually patients. But the implant
could one day replace the current standard treatment for Type 1
diabetes, which requires either daily injections or insulin pumps.
Engadget
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