Synthetic Beta Cells in a Patch Treatment for Diabetes
January 9, 2018 | Terry Sharrer
Biomedical engineers in North Carolina (UNC–NCSU) have developed artificial pancreatic beta cells that automatically secrete insulin as needed. These synthetic cells “are constructed with a simplified version of a normal cell’s two-layered lipid membrane. The key innovation is what these cells contain: specially designed, insulin-stuffed vesicles. A rise in blood glucose levels leads to chemical changes in the vesicle coating, causing the vesicles to start fusing with the AβC’s outer membrane — thus releasing the insulin payloads.” With further work, this may result in a weekly patch that controls glucose levels. MORE
Image Credit: UNC-NCSU and ScienceDaily.com