Most people with type 1 diabetes inject insulin to prevent their blood sugar levels from getting too high. However, if their blood sugar gets too low, it can lead to confusion, seizures, and even death.
To combat this hypoglycemia, some patients carry syringes of glucagon, a hormone that stimulates release of glucose. Now MIT engineers have developed an alternative that could work even when people don’t realize they are becoming hypoglycemic. It could also help during sleep, or for children who are unable to inject themselves. “Our goal was to build a device that is always ready to protect patients,” says Daniel Anderson, a professor in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the senior author of a study on the work.
The implantable device, about the size of a quarter, contains a polymer reservoir holding powdered glucagon and sealed with a material that can be programmed to change shape when heated. It also includes an antenna that allows the user to remotely turn on a small electrical current, which heats that material until it bends and releases the drug. Because the device can receive wireless signals, it could also be triggered automatically by a glucose monitor.
The researchers have successfully tested the implant in mice and say it could also be used to deliver epinephrine to treat heart attacks or prevent anaphylactic shock.