I would like to switch to a new arena of Type 1 Diabetes, to a more worldly and prominent aspect. This is the idea of synthesis of hormones, drugs, and even organs. This year, 2012, was a memorable year for many who have collaborated on Type 1 Diabetes research, but it must be exceptionally special for the members of the Animas Corporation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The reason being, these two groups innovated and successfully tested the first artificial pancreas system.
The results were presented on June 10, 2012 at the 72nd annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting. The artificial pancreas is not an organ transplant, but rather a system that can detect changes in blood glucose levels and then accordingly determine the correct amounts of insulin to secrete. The formal name for the system is the Hypoglycemia- Hyperglycemia Minimizer (HHM). Essentially, the name means that the system keeps blood sugar at safe levels, away from the extremes of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
The test for the efficacy of the system was administered on 13 study participants in the United States. These test subjects were administered for 24 hours with and without the system. The actual system comprise of an insulin pump that is placed just below the skin, a glucose monitor for blood sugar levels, and blood sugar level-detecting software.
The Assistant Vice President of Research at JDRF stated that this advance, one that could not only detect, but also predict blood sugar levels and make insulin release adjustments would relieve many of the people with Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes.
Hopefully, more breakthroughs such as this one can sprout from the earth to understand Type 1 Diabetes. Until those breakthroughs become reality, diabetes patients can be assured that researchers are already on the verge of major discoveries, and the evidence is already present in today's revolutionary HHM.
No comments:
Post a Comment