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Illustration of male pancreas anatomy

In the U.S. alone, 1.25 million Americans suffer from type 1 diabetes, a potentially debilitating and life-changing condition. Every year, more and more people are diagnosed, and the only common treatment is regular insulin injections. A research team hoping to revolutionize diabetes treatment has developed an artificial pancreas that automatically detects changing blood sugar levels and administers insulin automatically, as announced by Harvard University.

The pancreas is responsible for producing a range of hormones within our body, including insulin, which helps to control the levels of sugar (glucose) in our blood. Those who do not manage to control their blood sugar level – by either not producing enough insulin (type 1) or by producing ineffective insulin (type 2) – tend to develop hyperglycemia.

Frequently injecting insulin is the normal method of treatment, but there are increasingly more advanced methods being trialled and tested in medical laboratories and institutions across the world. Just this week, a team of researchers in California have developedinsulin-producing beta cells by manipulating the development of human skin cells; these can be transplanted straight into mice, where they are shown to be effective at preventing the onset of diabetes.

Read More & See Video: Source: Artificial Pancreas Trials To Begin In The U.S. | IFLScience

January 9, 2016 | by Robin Andrews