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Researchers develop bioartificial pancreas to treat diabetes

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posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 09:30 AM
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A team from University of Coimbra in Portugal is developing an artificial pancreas for treating diabetes type I, based on polymers that seems to be promising, I saw this in a local newspaper but haven't seen this in any English media so I bring you the only report in english i could find.


Generally, the team led by Rachel Seiça focused on improving the biological properties of these devices, and so the team developed a microcapsule in which the insulin-producing cells are enclosed in a polymer matrix of alginate hydrogels, a natural polymer modified with a substance, one peptide present in the extracellular matrix (RGD), thus mimicking the cellular microenvironment in vivo which allowed the team to increase the viability and functionality of the encapsulated and transplanted cells.

The results of experiments conducted first in vitro (cell lines) and later in vivo (transplantation of the microcapsules in diabetic mice) were very promising.

"An increase in cell viability and insulin production was observed in vitro, and, in diabetic animals, improved levels of blood glucose and of insulin resistance,"

"However, there is still a long way to go. It is necessary to reduce the microcapsule size, make it even more stable, more viable and more functioning to be transplanted in humans," explains Raquel Seiça. -


www.pravdareport.com...

I look a lill bit into Seiça work and its mainly about diabetes and trying to deliver insulin orally, as a poorly controlled Type I i always look for promising news about pumps and implants but they usually never deliver what they promise or never gets anywhere, perhaps a cure for a disease that can be controlled for decades in most cases with periodic very expensive medicines its not profitable and a cure will never come, but who knows, a researcher from a not globally recognized university may not be in the big pharma loop and eager to get some recognition one day will achieve a cure? One can only hope.

I remember almost 10 years the news of pig implants to control diabetes, they would last about 10 years and it would be like a regular pancreas, I heard for about 10k you could go to Russia and get one, still waiting it became something
but when companies got projections of how much they will earn by 2025 and make $ 500 billion a year today, do you really think it will be cured?



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 09:33 AM
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a reply to: Indigent

Nice find, that is really cool and will save lives.👍



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 09:38 AM
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a reply to: Indigent

My dad is actually in hospital with gallstone related pancreatitis, been in 5 month now.. had huge organ failure and has been on life support for 3 month all due to the problems in the pancreas, crazy how such a small organ (which i hadn't really heard of) can cause such a detrimental affect on the body..

Hes in the process of having procedures to remove his pancreas, but it involves a lot of drains and alot of procedures. So from my knowledge of how angry and unstable this organ is, i highly doubt they will be successfully replicating it any time soon..

As for it curing diabetics.. remember they don't want to cure you, they just want to find a way for you to become reliant on their "medicine" for the rest of your life $$$

edit on 25-7-2016 by AMNicks because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 09:44 AM
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a reply to: AMNicks

Of course when they say artificial pancreas they don't mean something that replaces pancreas but something that release insulin as similar as possible to the pancreas, the pancreas produce many other things other than insulin.



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 09:58 AM
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a reply to: Indigent

Yeah of course! The pancreas also creates enzymes used in the stomach to break down food, i understand there focusing on not replicating but finding an alternative insulin source.. i take it you dont like the injections?



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 10:08 AM
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a reply to: AMNicks

The injections are ok, having to follow a strict routine to make them work is the problem



posted on Jul, 25 2016 @ 12:16 PM
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You type 1 folks have my heart. Type II is much easier controlled with diet, but type 1...i'd love to see people not have to live with that.



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