Savvy Updates, 2/22/21: Dexcom Ventures, Printed Pancreases, Microplastics Pollution, Dr. Steve Edelman on Carbs vs. Calories

Dexcom unveils new corporate venture fund to invest in sensor, health monitoring startups was reported by Mike Freeman for SanDiegoUnionTribune.com, 12 February 2021.

Dexcom, a maker of wearable continuous glucose monitors for people with diabetes, said Thursday that is launching its first corporate venture capital fund to invest in sensing, data analytics, remote patient monitoring, population health and related technologies.

The San Diego company offered few details about the fund at this time, including its size, saying that it is still in development. But it will be solely a Dexcom undertaking, with no additional limited partners. The company will be open to evaluating investments in both early and later stage startups. Dexcom Ventures will be led by company veteran Steve Pacelli, executive vice president of strategy and corporate development. Initially the fund will support companies working on glucose sensing technologies and in adjacent fields of metabolic monitoring.

Extra Extra! Pancreases Fresh off the Printer! was reported by Alex Parrott for TheSugarScribe newsletter by TheSugarScience.org, 15 February 2021.

3D scaffolds are the framework for tissue engineering that promote cell adhesion and growth, without scaffolds it would be very difficult to promote tissue regeneration. These scaffolds can be fabricated by a process called additive manufacturing which involves adding biomaterials through sequential addition until the desired geometric scaffold is formed. The beauty of this technique is it allows for a personalized case specific design.

Using these techniques scientists, like Fantini and Bordoni, have developed different ways of fabricating neural tissue. By using bioinks and 3D printing techniques they overcame a common issue with studying ND, the lack of accurate in vitro models. Their work allowed them to use Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to develop neural tissues that could easily be studied.

Here are a few, very technical but fascinating studies:

Small but Mighty Pollutants was reviewed by Cassidy Myhre for TheSugarScience.org, 1 November 2020.

Increasing evidence shows that microplastics (MPs) – tiny plastic particles found in the environment and in several everyday products – don’t only act as carriers that transport contaminants into organisms, they also induce serious health risks.

It has been established that Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as MPs, may be major contributors to T1D due to their effects on autoimmunity and the gut microbiota. The MP most known for their diabetogenic effects are phthalate esters (PAEs).

Read more: Small but Mighty Pollutants

Dr. Steve Edelman/TCOYD’s throwback video from 2015 is still valid today. It’s important to consider both carbs and calories when making food choices to support diabetes management, and here he shares some of his favorite foods and meal ideas that are filling, easy to prep, and check the boxes of low carb/low cal.