The Future for Diabetes

The underlying cause of diabetes is yet to be discovered however research today is slowly starting to develop novel new approaches to the disease's treatment. It may be that a cure is found in the not to distant future but for now, a number of new therapies are being closely studied in many of the countries around the world.

Advancements in glucose control
Recent advances have meant that patients can monitor their own blood glucose levels at home or indeed on the move but this requires the diabetic to prick their finger every time they need to take a reading. Is the next step an implantable glucose sensor that will give off some kind of signal when the glucose concentration rises or falls below the normal limits? Some researchers say it is and indeed a number of laboratories around the globe are working towards developing such a monitor.

Other research, that has been going on for years, involves shining a special light through the skin in order to establish a glucose reading however until these new types of monitors have been tried and tested over and over again, we will not be seeing them on the market as an incorrect glucose reading could ultimately end in disaster.

Advancements in insulin administration
According to recent reports, researchers have now developed an insulin pump that is actually implanted into the patient. This pump measures and monitors the concentration of glucose within the blood and if a rise or fall is recorded the exact amount of insulin required to bring the level back to normal can be administered, without the patient even knowing it.

In this way, the pump emulates the action of the natural beta cells in a non-diabetic person. Unfortunately however, prototypes have been plagued with problems including clogging and the detection of other bodily chemicals which affect the readings taken; hence the implantable insulin pump is still in the experimental stage.