Mazen Rajab, Jamal darwicha, Laith Edlbi, Samim Alcharif, Abrar Nasri

Researchers

Post Graduate Studies & Research Council Meeting No. 10, 3/10/2022

Date of Acceptance

Scientific evidence demonstrates that not only sustained elevation of blood glucose levels but also the glucose fluctuation represents key determinants for diabetic complications and mortality.

The management of type 1 diabetes using closed-loop insulin therapy (artificial pancreas) is limited to the use of electronics-based systems (insulin pump) and repeated painful injections, although it poses some technical issues with high cost.

Here we demonstrate an electronics-free, tamarind polymer extracted from seed with synthetic boronate gel-based insulin-diffusion-control device technology that can cope with glucose fluctuations and potentially address the electronics-derived issues. The gel was combined with suitable amount of insulin for rats, serving as a subcutaneously implantable (biodegradable), insulin-diffusion-active site in a manner dependent on the subcutaneous glucose. Continuous glucose monitoring tests revealed that our device not only normalizes average glucose level of rats, but also markedly ameliorates the fluctuations over timescale of a day without inducing hypoglycemia

Our technology may offer a low-cost alternative to current electronics-based approaches.

Abstract