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The artificial organ will be available in two years
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
According to experts, in just 2 years an artificial pancreas will be available for transplantation to people in need, primarily patients with diabetes who are forced to regularly check their blood sugar levels and take insulin injections. The artificial organ will appear in clinical practice as early as 2018 – it is a special device for monitoring blood glucose levels and automatically regulating insulin levels in the body.
The European Association for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases has already reported on upcoming changes in the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes. The artificial pancreas is designed specifically for patients with type 1 diabetes to independently determine the concentration of sugar in the blood and administer the required amount of insulin. According to the developers, the dosage of insulin depends on various factors, in particular, on the person's physical activity, diet, etc. Today, patients with type 1 diabetes independently monitor their blood sugar levels in order to promptly correct the sugar level with an insulin injection.
The team of researchers is now working to improve the device to improve its accuracy and study cybersecurity issues to prevent hacker attacks.
The scientists also noted that the currently used devices for sugar control - a glucometer and an insulin pump - will essentially "converge" in one device - an artificial pancreas. According to the researchers, the preliminary tests of the artificial organ were successful, and the volunteers highly rated the new therapy. First of all, all the volunteers noted the lack of need to constantly monitor their condition. According to the developers, all the volunteers reported that with the artificial pancreas they became truly free and were able to do everyday things, for the first time in a long time without fearing for their health.
In each individual case, the need for insulin is different. Patients control their sugar levels to prevent the development of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (critical decrease in sugar). In both cases, high and low sugar levels carry the risk of severe damage to blood vessels, nerve endings, which will eventually cause problems with blood vessels and the heart.
In addition to the glycometer and insulin pump, patients with type 1 diabetes can choose other treatments, such as beta cell or pancreas transplantation. The downside of this therapy is the need to take drugs that suppress the immune system. In both the case of whole organ transplantation and individual beta cell transplantation, the immune system can attack foreign cells and destroy more than 80%. Cambridge experts noted that when transplanting an artificial organ, there is no need to take immunosuppressants, and the transplant operation is less traumatic.
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