In the past twenty years, just as smartphones and other technology ramped up production at warped speed, a paradigm shift happened in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community, with digital healthcare producing some fascinating diabetes advancements.
New and improved insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), artificial pancreas systems, beta cell regeneration, encapsulation, bionic pump therapy—plus clinical trials happening right now that render individuals insulin independent.
These trailblazing discoveries alone should be reason enough to commemorate this time in history and hope for even broader breakthroughs on the T1D horizon.
Type 1 Diabetes Research in 2024
When someone is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the first question they and their loved ones ask is how close are scientists to finding a cure? Since the discovery of insulin in 1921 (over 100 years ago!), diabetes treatment and technological advancements for the chronic disease have come in waves. Now, finally, the pendulum appears to be swinging with upward momentum.
Thanks to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), Diabetes Research Institute and continued government funding for the Special Diabetes Program (SDP), exploration into a cure continues to grow. More specifically, treatments to reverse, slow down and aid individuals with type 1 diabetes seem to have had a resurgence of late.
What's more, StartUp Health's T1D Moonshot Program offers opportunities to entrepreneurs, scientists and philanthropists to accelerate innovation toward managing the disease and finding a cure for T1D.
T1D Advances on the Horizon
When someone thinks of a cure – they expect the illness or disease to cease from being. There is hope for a biological cure for T1D. Ideally, concerning type 1 diabetes care, a cure requires the body to start producing its own insulin again and normalizing blood sugar levels without the added risk of immunosuppression drug side effects.
Diabetes Devices
High Tech Insulin Pump Therapy
The science behind automated insulin delivery (AID) systems using algorithms to determine the precise amount of insulin the body requires is growing exponentially. Minimalizing the need even to count carbs is revolutionary—a true artificial working pancreas.
Here are a few exciting artificial pancreas (AP) systems and algorithms:
iLet®Bionic Pancreas System (approved for ages 6+)
This truly amazing insulin delivery system works with the Dexcom G6 or G7 CGM and only needs your weight. The Beta Bionics’ iLet ACE Pump and iLet Dosing Decision Software do all of the work for you—no more carb counting, correction factors, carb ratios, or pre-set basal rates to worry about. These additional factors can be burdensome and time-consuming which is why this bionic pump stands out.
Medtronic MiniMed™ 780G (AP system approved for ages 7+)
The new Medtronic MiniMed 780G is the only system with Meal Detection™ technology, real-time insulin adjustments, and auto-bolus corrections all day and night. If you miss a meal dose or underestimate a carb count, the MiniMed automatically delivers correction boluses of insulin without any work from you, as quickly as five minutes.
Tidepool Loop
Tidepool Loop is the first fully interoperable automated insulin dosing app, cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The algorithm that allows for interoperability for CGMs and insulin pumps originated as a patient-led initiative. This advanced sensor-enabled insulin pump system has three key components: a CGM sensor sends glucose data through a “controller.” The controller then calculates how to adjust your insulin and sends a command to your insulin pump to change how much insulin is delivered.
Dexcom G7 CGM system (available for ages 2+)
The new enhanced CGM system to improve diabetes control is the Dexcom G7. The small wearable sensor sends real-time glucose readings every five minutes to your smartphone or watch to adjust your insulin output easily. The Dexcom G7’s improvement over the Dexcom G6 is the G7’s sensor is 60% smaller than the G6’s and has a simpler setup and faster warm-up – the G7 sensor warms up in 30 minutes, which is the shortest time of any CGM system.
CGMs are known to improve a patient's blood sugar level, protecting against severe hypoglycemic episodes and the threat of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Source:
https://www.type1strong.org/blog-post/top-type-1-diabetes-advancements-to-watch-in-2024