Implications of Innovations in Diabetes Research

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Introduction

Throughout the years, research into diabetes treatment yielded innovative technologies that aim to improve the standard of care for diabetes patients. Innovations, such as insulin pumps, allowed for massively improved patient outcomes. As research continually invests in diabetes, so will the capabilities of treatment via technological advancements. In this blog, I will outline three technological advancements in Diabetes care, and their future implications for diabetes care/research.

Transdermal glucose monitoring

Currently, Diabetes self-care is done through drawing blood with a needle for glucose measurement. However, Echo Therapeutics is developing a glucose sensor that reads through the skin, eliminating the needle factor. Through a patch on the skin containing a biosensor, blood analytes are analyzed to provide information about blood glucose levels. This patch can reduce the risk of infection in treatment for diabetes, since the pathogenic risk associated with needles is eliminated (MacRae, 2013). Although transdermal glucose sensors can elevate the ease of diabetes management, there are shortcomings to consider such as electrode degradation, long-term instability, and response latency. It is vital for researchers pursuing this technology to address shortcomings to maximize the integration of transdermal monitors into society (Chen et al., 2021).

Islet chips

Researchers backed by the NIH's NIDDK aim to utilize islet chips, to study islets. Islets are pancreatic cell groups and contain insulin making cells (beta cells). Bioengineered islet chips are designed to sustain islets similar to how the human body regulates islets. This allows studying of isolated human islets in a lab environment. According to NIH - NIDDK's blog on New Technologies in Diabetes Care and Management, islet chips will "allow researchers to study how the immune cells interact with beta cells to mimic aspects of the autoimmune process involved in type 1 diabetes" (NIH - NIDDK, 2020). In other words, islet chips allow testing of novel type 1 diabetes treatments, expediting the research process for diabetes in cost and time. This also implies that the ethical downside of testing non-ideal treatments in subjects will decrease, increasing confidence between peers in type 1 diabetes research (NIH - NIDDK, 2020).

Spectrographic lasers

A spectrographic laser was proposed by researchers of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) as a noninvasive method to measure blood glucose levels. The laser can allow insights into properties of matter by analyzing how the matter reacts to light. If spectrographic lasers were massively implemented towards diabetes care, it would significantly decrease infection from diabetes treatment due to invasive needles. However, NIH - NIDDK stated that "more research and development [is] needed to improve the device and make it more portable and convenient for use" (NIH - NIDDK, 2020). Further research and development will also ensure economic and social factors that may arise concerns during implementation (NIH - NIDDK, 2020).

Conclusion

All in all, spectrographic lasers and transdermal glucose monitoring sensors offer promises to decrease invasive diabetes care and infection. In addition, Islet chips can act as a powerful catalyst for pushing out competent innovations for managing type 1 diabetes. However, due to the novelty surrounding these innovations, further research is always helpful in ensuring soundness in the safety of future patients, credibility of research institutions, and integrity of healthcare systems.

References

Chen, C. C., Xue, P., Campbell, A. S., Adeel, M., Kim, K. B., Bollella, P., Abrar, M. A., Kim, S. K., Hwang, D. W., Zhou, Y., Deng, W., Wu, C., An, S., Holtz, J. H., Zhang, Y., Gonzales, W. V., Czupryniak, L., Yao, J., Zeng, Y., & Kim, J. (2021, August 4). Recent advances in transdermal sensors for glucose monitoring. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468451121000660

MacRae, M. (2013, March 11). Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations. ASME. https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/top-5-medical-technology-innovations#:~:text=Top%205%20Medical%20Technology%20Innovations%201%201.%20Cutting,5%205.%20A%20Valve%20Job%20with%20Heart%20

National Institute of Health - National Institiute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2020, April 15). New Technologies in diabetes care and management - blog - NIDDK. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/professionals/diabetes-discoveries-practice/new-technologies-in-diabetes-care-and-management