Happy New Year and Welcome to 2017! This promises to be an exciting diabetes year and we’re starting off with lots of updates!
The Biliary Tree of Life, as described by the researchers at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), is a network of stem cells in the biliary tree, liver and pancreas, being proposed as a framework for understanding liver and pancreas regeneration after extensive or chronic injuries. These Stem cells will also be considered for the study and treatment of diseases that affect these organs, such as Type 1 diabetes. Indeed, animal trial results suggest that cells outside of the pancreas can produce insulin.
Read more: The Biliary Tree of Life
Higher Insulin Doses May Require More Aggressive CV Attention, according to the findings from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Research and Development Corporation, 3 January 2017 and reported in The Lancet, January 2017. These studies conclude that higher insulin doses are associated with increased mortality.
Read more: Insulin dose and Mortality
Twenty-two New Patents Added to ViaCyte’s Intellectual Property Portfolio, reported by ViaCyte, Inc., 4 January 2017. In early 2016 the Company announced the consolidation of the assets of the Janssen BetaLogics group into ViaCyte. Five of the new patents originated in the BetaLogics group, while the other seventeen are from ViaCyte research and development activity. Collectively, these composition, method, and design patents cover the full spectrum of ViaCyte’s activities, strengthen the already robust combined intellectual property position, and further ensure the success of the Company in its efforts to develop a functional cure for insulin-requiring diabetes.
Read more: Twenty-two New Patents Are Added To ViaCyte’s Intellectual Property Portfolio
K’Track Devices Monitor Glucose and Lactic Acid using a sensor that collects and analyzes skin fluid, according to www.engadget.com, reported by Billy Steele in Wearables, 3 January 2017.
Sensors for continuous glucose monitors (CGM) use a small needle and are typically worn on the stomach. While they don’t usually get in the way, you still have to be mindful they’re there. PKvitality’s solution is the K’Track Glucose wearable that uses a so-called SkinTaste sensor and tiny needles to check glucose levels. A removable sensor under the gadget uses a group of 0.5mm needles to collect and analyze the interstitial fluid surrounding tissue cells. Those cells absorb glucose from your bloodstream and can provide a lot of data about what’s going on inside of your body.
Read more: This wearable uses tiny needles to analyze glucose levels
Diabetes Technology Clinical Guidelines for Adults, reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinolgoy & Metabolism, 16 August 2016, is a set of clinical guidelines, formulated by the Endocrine Society, for the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII = pump) in adults with diabetes.
Their recommendations: use your insulin pump and your cgm!
Read more: Diabetes Technology in Adults: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
FDA Oks Dexcom G5 CGM for Insulin Dosing Decisions Alone, as reported by UPI HealthDay News and PR Newswire, 20 December 2016. This is significant. Up until this ruling, we were supposed to do fingersticks to determine dosing for meals or to make blood sugar level corrections. Now, all we need to do is calibrate twice/day.
Read more:
FDA OKs diabetes device that may replace fingerstick tests
FDA expands indication for continuous glucose monitoring system
The Edelman Report on the A1c Test and Its Inaccuracies was published by Taking Control of Your Diabetes, 4 January, 2017. In this report, Dr. Steve Edelman talks about the hemoglobin A1c test is, why it is useful, and what factors may lead to an inaccurate result. There are various factors that might give you a false low A1c result … it’s important to know what these are so that you are assured that your A1c is what you think it is.
I have never had a diabetes device as effective as the CGM. I hope about that future applications that impact diabetes are even half as effective as the CGM.