1.1 diabetes is a chronic disease marked by hyperglycemia, which is caused by the absolute or
relative insufficiency of insulin secretion and utilization obstacle.
According to the International diabetes Federation (IDF),
in 2023, the number of diabetes patients worldwide is
537 million, with a total prevalence rate of 6.1%. At present,
China has more than 140 million patients with diabetes, ranking first in the world, and is
expected to increase to 174 million by 2045. Diabetes is an important danger to human survival
and health.
Diabetes caused by the absolute insufficiency of insulin secretion belongs to type 1 diabetes.
It is more common in adolescents and generally has a rapid onset. Before the disease is
diagnosed and treated, it can manifest as "three more and one less", namely excessive drinking,
frequent urination, frequent eating, and weight loss.
1.2 Our team has proposed a treatment plan for this, namely the "Glycemic Stabilizer", a device
that can detect blood glucose and secrete insulin with an encapsuled engineered cell under the
help of blue light. It can monitor the patient's blood sugar level.
Once the blood sugar rises to pathological concentrations, it can emit blue light to stimulate
the cells embedded in the patient's body to secrete insulin, in order to reduce blood sugar.
When blood sugar returns to normal, insulin secretion can be stopped to avoid hypoglycemia.
We used the GIP promoter (a glucose sensitive promoter that promotes its activity when glucose concentration increases) and a blue light device to ensure that insulin secretion does not occur under normal blood glucose conditions.
We used sponge and miRNA. When blood sugar decreases, miRNA can bind to miR-BS and inhibit insulin expression. And sponge can act as a probe to prevent miRNA from binding to miR-BS when insulin secretion is required.
If our solution is applied to the human body, we will first test the patient's own cells to reduce immune response and improve cell survival rate.
In the experiment, the machine we used was able to emit blue light at high glucose concentrations. We also have several plans for applying our approach to the human body. One is to use non-invasive bracelet to detect blood sugar levels through chemical sensors and the principle of electroosmosis, emitting blue light when blood sugar exceeds the standard. The second option is to use minimally invasive bracelet, which have more precision compared to the previous solution. We have also communicated with relevant companies, and this solution causes minimal damage to the patient's skin.
Engineering cells are buried closer to capillaries, allowing more secreted insulin to enter the human circulatory system. Meanwhile, this embedding technique is not complicated, just a simple subcutaneous implantation.
During the research and development phase, continuous adjustments and updates of laboratory consumables and equipment require a significant amount of money. In the application stage, the cells we use are modified from the patient's own cells, and the cost may come more from purchasing a specialized bracelet.