New 'smart cell patch' to control diabetes developed!

Zee Media Bureau

Scientists have invented an artificial painless patch with natural beta cell that can regulate the blood sugar levels on demand.

The researchers at the University of North Carolina and NC State have created a 'smart insulin patch' that can detect the increased sugar level in blood and secrete doses of insulin into the bloodstream whenever needed.

The results, published in the journal Advanced Material, reveals that this amazing research could provide a new ray of hope for the patients with Type-1 and advanced Type-2 diabetes who need monitor insulin levels constantly.

The small square shaped patch is covered with hundred of 'micro needles', each with the size of an eye lash. These needles are filled with microscopic storage units of insulin and glucose-sensing enzymes that automatically gets secreted whenever the blood sugar level gets too high.

“We have designed a patch for diabetes that works fast, is easy to use, and is made from nontoxic, biocompatible materials,” said co-senior author Zhen Gu, PhD, a professor in the Joint UNC/NC State Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Beta cells are the unique pancreatic cell in a human body that makes, stores and regulates hormone insulin. In a person with diabetes the number of these cells reduces dramatically.

The study points out that diabetes affects more than 387 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow to 592 million by the year 2035.