JERUSALEM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Israel and the United States have developed a living implant that acts as an artificial pancreas, a breakthrough that could one day eliminate the need for daily insulin injections for millions of people with diabetes.
The Israel Institute of Technology, known as Technion, announced the development Monday following a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The cell-based system functions like a built-in pharmacy. It continuously monitors blood sugar levels and autonomously produces and releases the exact amount of insulin the body requires. Unlike existing technology, the implant operates without the need for external pumps or patient monitoring.
A major hurdle in such implants has historically been the body's immune system, which often attacks foreign tissue. The researchers solved this by engineering a "crystalline shield" that protects the implant from immune rejection, allowing it to function reliably over long periods.
So far, the technology has successfully maintained long-term glucose control in mice and survived within non-human primates.
While the primary focus is currently on diabetes, the researchers say this platform could be adapted to treat other chronic conditions. By modifying the cells, the implant could potentially deliver continuous doses of proteins needed to treat hemophilia or other genetic and metabolic diseases.
If the technology proves successful in human trials, it would mark an important shift in medicine, moving from a lifetime of manual drug administration to a "living therapy" that regulates itself inside the body. Enditem
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