Claim: Artificial Pancreas Continues to Show Promise
Verdict: REFUTES

Retrieved passages:
title: Artificial pancreas
text: device is configurable for use with only one hormone, or both. While trials continue to be run, the iLet has a projected final approval for the insulin-only system in 2020. Four studies on different artificial pancreas systems are being conducted starting in 2017 and going into the near future. The projects are funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases(NIDDK), and are the final part of testing the devices before applying for approval for use. Participants in the studies are able to live their lives at home while using the devices and being monitored remotely for

title: Artificial pancreas
text: the cells mature into endocrine cells which arrange in islet-like clusters and mimic the function of the pancreas, producing insulin and glucagon. The technology advanced from pre-clinical studies to FDA approval for phase 1 clinical trials in 2014, and presented two-year data from the trial in June 2018. They reported that their product, called PEC-Encap, has so far been safe and well tolerated in patients at a dose below therapeutic levels. The encapsulated cells were able to survive and mature after implantation, and immune system rejection was decreased due to the protective membrane. The second phase of the trial will

title: Artificial pancreas
text: Artificial pancreas The artificial pancreas is a technology in development to help people with diabetes, primarily type 1, automatically and continuously control their blood glucose level by providing the substitute endocrine functionality of a healthy pancreas. The endocrine functionality of the pancreas is provided by islet cells which produce the hormones insulin and glucagon. Artificial pancreatic technology mimics the secretion of these hormones into the bloodstream in response to the body's changing blood glucose levels. Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels is crucial to the function of the brain, liver, and kidneys. Therefore, for type 1 patients, it is necessary that

title: Artificial pancreas
text: the levels be kept balanced when the body cannot produce insulin itself. The artificial pancreas is a broad term for different bio-engineering strategies currently in development to achieve these requirements. Different bio-engineering approaches under consideration include: The medical equipment approach involves combining a continuous glucose monitor and an implanted insulin pump that can function together with a computer-controlled algorithm to replace the normal function of the pancreas. The development of continuous glucose monitors has led to the progress in artificial pancreas technology using this integrated system. The original devices for use in type 1 diabetes were blood glucose meters. Continuous

title: Artificial pancreas
text: and appropriately provide insulin. Artificial pancreas The artificial pancreas is a technology in development to help people with diabetes, primarily type 1, automatically and continuously control their blood glucose level by providing the substitute endocrine functionality of a healthy pancreas. The endocrine functionality of the pancreas is provided by islet cells which produce the hormones insulin and glucagon. Artificial pancreatic technology mimics the secretion of these hormones into the bloodstream in response to the body's changing blood glucose levels. Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels is crucial to the function of the brain, liver, and kidneys. Therefore, for type 1 patients,

title: Artificial pancreas
text: Minnesota, in collaboration with Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, are planning a 6-month study that will begin in early 2019 and will involve 112 adolescents and young adults, ages 14 to 30. The main object of the study is to compare the current Medtronic 670G system to a new Medtronic-developed system. The new system has programming that aims to improve glucose control around mealtime, which is still a big challenge in the field. The current 6-month study lead by the Bionic Pancreas team started in mid-2018 and enrolled 312 participants of ages 18 and above. The biotechnical

title: Artificial pancreas
text: evaluate the efficacy of the product. ViaCyte has also been receiving financial support from JDRF on this project. In the United States in 2006, JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) launched a multi-year initiative to help accelerate the development, regulatory approval, and acceptance of continuous glucose monitoring and artificial pancreas technology. Grassroots efforts to create and commercialize a fully automated artificial pancreas system have also arisen directly from patient advocates and the diabetes community. Bigfoot Biomedical, a company founded by parents of children with T1D have created algorithms and are developing a closed loop device that monitor blood sugar

title: Artificial pancreas
text: safety, efficacy, and a number of other factors. The International Diabetes Closed-Loop trial, led by researchers from the University of Virginia, is testing a closed-loop system called inControl, which has a smartphone user interface. 240 people of ages 14 and up are participating for 6 months. A full-year trial led by researchers from the University of Cambridge started in May 2017 and has enrolled an estimated 150 participants of ages 6 to 18 years. The artificial pancreas system being studied uses a smartphone and has a low glucose feature to improve glucose level control. The International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis,

title: Artificial organ
text: to study the effect of environmental toxins on folliculogenesis. An artificial pancreas is used to substitute endocrine functionality of a healthy pancreas for diabetic and other patients who require it. It can be used to improve insulin replacement therapy until glycemic control is practically normal as evident by the avoidance of the complications of hyperglycemia, and it can also ease the burden of therapy for the insulin-dependent. Approaches include using an insulin pump under closed loop control, developing a bio-artificial pancreas consisting of a biocompatible sheet of encapsulated beta cells, or using gene therapy. An implantable machine that performs the

title: Artificial pancreas
text: company Defymed, based in France, is developing an implantable bio-artificial device called MailPan which features a bio-compatible membrane with selective permeability to encapsulate different cells types, including pancreatic beta cells. The implantation of the device does not require conjunctive immuno-supressive therapy because the membrane prevents antibodies of the patient from entering the device and damaging the encapsulated cells. After being surgically implanted, the membrane sheet will be viable for years.The cells that the device holds can be produced from stem cells rather than human donors, and may also be replaced over time using input and output connections without surgery. Defymed

title: Artificial pancreas
text: which produce glucagon. Both cells arrange in islet-like clusters, mimicking the structure of the pancreas. The aim of the partnership is to combine both technologies in a bio-artificial pancreas device, which releases insulin in response to blood glucose levels, to bring to clinical trial stages. The San Diego, California based biotech company ViaCyte has also developed a product aiming to provide a solution for type 1 diabetes which uses an encapsulation device made of a semi-permeable immune reaction-protective membrane. The device contains pancreatic progenitor cells that have been differentiated from embryonic stem cells. After surgical implantation in an outpatient procedure,

title: Artificial pancreas
text: 2018, which can last up to ten days and does not need finger prick calibration. Like Medtronic's monitor, it can predict glucose level trends. It is compatible for integration into insulin pumps. Unlike the continuous sensor alone, the closed-loop system requires no user input in response to reading from the monitor; the monitor and insulin pump system automatically delivers the correct amount of hormone calculated from the readings transmitted. The system is what makes up the artificial pancreas device. In September 2016, the FDA approved the Medtronic MiniMed 670G, which was the first approved hybrid closed loop system. The device

title: Diabetes management
text: A biological approach to the artificial pancreas is to implant bioengineered tissue containing islet cells, which would secrete the amounts of insulin, amylin and glucagon needed in response to sensed glucose. When islet cells have been transplanted via the Edmonton protocol, insulin production (and glycemic control) was restored, but at the expense of continued immunosuppression drugs. Encapsulation of the islet cells in a protective coating has been developed to block the immune response to transplanted cells, which relieves the burden of immunosuppression and benefits the longevity of the transplant. Research is being done at several locations in which islet cells

title: Artificial pancreas
text: blood glucose monitors are one of the set of devices that make up an artificial pancreas device system, the other being an insulin pump, and a glucose meter to calibrate the device. Continuous glucose monitors are a more recent breakthrough and have begun to hit the markets for patient use after approval from the FDA. Both the traditional and the continuous monitor require manual insulin delivery or carbohydrate intake depending on the readings from the devices. While the traditional blood glucose meters require the user to prick their finger every few hours to obtain data, continuous monitors use sensors placed

title: Artificial pancreas
text: senses a diabetic person's basal insulin requirement and automatically adjusts its delivery to the body. It is made up of a continuous glucose monitor, an insulin pump, and a glucose meter for calibration. It automatically functions to modify the level of insulin delivery based off the detection of blood glucose levels by continuous monitor. It does this by sending the blood glucose data through an algorithm that analyzes and makes the subsequent adjustments. The system has two modes. Manual mode lets the user choose the rate at which basal insulin is delivered. Auto mode regulates basal insulin levels from the

title: Artificial pancreas
text: is partially funded by JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but is now defined as an organization for all ages and all stages of type 1 diabetes. In November 2018, it was announced that Defymed would partner with the Israel-based Kadimastem, a bio-pharmaceutical company developing stem-cell based regenerative therapies, to receive a two-year grant worth approximately $1.47 million for the development of a bio-artificial pancreas that would treat type 1 diabetes. Kadimastem's stem cell technology uses differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to obtain pancreatic endocrine cells. These include insulin-producing beta cells, as well as alpha cells,

title: Artificial pancreas
text: continuous monitor's readings every five minutes. The device was originally available only to those aged 14 or older, and in June 2018 was approved by the FDA for use in children aged 7-14. Families have reported better sleep quality from use of the new system, as they do not have to worry about manually checking blood glucose levels during the night. The full cost of the system is $3700, but patients have the opportunity to get it for less. A team at Boston University working in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital on a dual hormone artificial pancreas system began clinical

title: Artificial pancreas
text: to seven days. The device uses Bluetooth technology to warn the user either through a handheld receiver or app on a smartphone if blood glucose levels reach below a certain point. The cost for this device excluding any co-insurance is an estimated $4,800 a year. Abbott Laboratories' FreeStyle Libre CGM was approved in September 2017. It does not support smartphone use. This device does not require finger pricks at all and the sensor, placed on the upper arm, lasts 10 days. The estimated cost for this monitor is $1,300 a year. Dexcom's next G6 model CGM was approved in March

title: Diabetes mellitus type 1
text: by eating or drinking something high in sugar. Severe cases can lead to unconsciousness and are treated with intravenous glucose or injections with glucagon. Continuous glucose monitors can alert patients to the presence of dangerously high or low blood sugar levels, but technical issues have limited the effect these devices have had on clinical practice. As of 2016 an artificial pancreas looks promising with safety issues still being studied. In 2018 they were deemed to be relatively safe. In some cases, a pancreas transplant can restore proper glucose regulation. However, the surgery and accompanying immunosuppression required may be more dangerous

title: OpenAPS
text: OpenAPS The Open Artificial Pancreas System (OpenAPS) project is a free and open-source project that aims to make basic artificial pancreas system (APS) technology available to everyone. The OpenAPS project was designed with the idea of quickly getting the APS technology to more people using a direct approach, rather than waiting for clinical trials to be completed and FDA approval to be granted as is traditional. OpenAPS traces its origin to 2013, when Dana M. Lewis and Scott Leibrand became aware of privately shared software created by John Costik. This software (which also led to development of the Nightscout project)