Canadian Researchers Developing External Artificial Pancreas to Help Type 1 Diabetics

Nov 29, 2014 04:09 AM EST

Diabetic Type 1 Patient with Glucose Monitor

(Photo : Reuters) Ed Damiano points to the continuous glucose monitor on his son David's leg at the family's home in Acton, Massachusetts July 23, 2011. Damiano, whose 12 year-old son David was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11 months-old, is working on a bionic pancreas that will automatically control blood glucose in people with type 1 diabetes. That technology could make a major difference to the three million Americans with the disease who must vigilantly monitor their blood sugar, even at night, and risk deadly consequences if they fail to notice a dangerous change in time. A fresh confrontation is about to break open this week as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lays out a path toward regulatory approval, expected as early as Thursday. To match Insight DIABETES/ Picture taken July 23, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: HEALTH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)

University of Montreal researchers are developing external artificial pancreas for Type 1 diabetic patients which improves control of sugar in the blood and reduces risk of blood sugar levels dropping suddenly to dangerous levels.

It uses an automated system that stimulates the pancreas through adaption of the volume of insulin it delivers to the body, depending on the blood sugar level of the diabetic, who has the choice between two models.

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The first model delivers only insulin, which the normal pancreas produce but diabetics often lack or could no longer produce. The second model produces both insulin and glucagon.

The university researchers compared the results of the two models with insulin pump, which Type 1 diabetics use. The aim was to determine the usefulness of the glucagon in preventing hypoglycemia which often prevents the patient from reaching the ideal glycemic levels.

"Our study confirms that both artificial pancreas systems improve glucose control and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia compared to conventional pump therapy," Headline & Global News quotes engineer Ahmad Haidar, the study's first author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Obesity, Metabolism and Diabetes Research unit of the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal ad University of Montreal.

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal published the study. Researchers are planning to further test the artificial pancreas for longer times and with more patients in future studies.

Diabetes, if left untreated, would result in high levels of sugar in the blood that causes damage to organs such as the eyes and kidney. Type 1 diabetes starts during childhood and the patient is often insulin-dependent, while Type 2 diabetes patients could take oral medication as maintenance, although some may also need insulin which is injected to help lower glucose levels, especially at night which is when the risk of hypoglycemia is often higher.

There are 347 million diabetics worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and diabetes is expected to become the 7^th leading cause of mortality across the world by 2030.

TagsDiabetes, insulin pump, glucose level, Bionic Pancreas