A new study has discovered a small device that can be implanted in the eye for diabetes treatment. What is the real story behind this device?
It has long been believed that diabetes is a chronic disease that is not curable, but the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden seems to have a different opinion. Researchers have developed a small microscopic device containing cells derived from Langhans islets in the pancreas that secrete insulin to lower blood sugar.
“Pancreatic cell transplant gives hope for the possibility of curing diabetes,” said Dr. Anna Herland, one of the doctors supervising this study. This innovative device was developed using 3D printing technology, measuring 240 micrometers in length, and designed to be implanted in the eye’s anterior chamber, specifically between the iris and cornea.
The eye has a unique ability to protect itself from immune reactions, and a transplant procedure within the eye is a non-invasive procedure that does not require surgical sutures. This is one of the main reasons doctors have chosen the human eye to implant this small device containing pancreatic islets that secrete insulin.
The transplanted pancreatic islets were able to restore insulin production in experimental mice. Results are monitored through multiple measurements of blood sugar levels, and the stability of the device is ensured through corneal examination.
This therapeutic approach may represent a new revolution in diabetes treatment, relying on generating pancreatic cells that secrete insulin. Transplant within the eye provides great hope for treating many chronic diseases, not just diabetes. With further progress and development in this field, renewable cells can be used and transplanted non-surgically to replace dead cells in the body.