Technology is advancing quickly, and this includes tech used in the medical industry. With these advancements, scientists gain opportunities to discover new ways to treat diseases and help people live healthier lives, even with existing conditions. Diabetes is considered a significant cause of death around the world, which is why it is a heavily researched topic in the medical industry. We take a closer look at the latest trends and advancements in diabetes clinical trials and research.
Drug And Treatment Research
One of the most promising areas of diabetes research involves the discovery of new treatment options that can help to improve insulin use, glucose control, and deliver effective strategies to prevent complications. There have been several advancements in these departments over the last few years. While many of these advancements are still going through extensive research and clinical trials, they do offer new hope for those who are struggling with the battle against diabetes.
Let’s review some of the latest advancements that have been made in terms of research on drugs and treatments for diabetes.
Stem Cell And Gene Therapy For Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disease that is classified as an autoimmune condition. It makes the body incapable of producing insulin, which is a critical hormone when it comes to ensuring the body uses glucose effectively. Researchers have long looked at gene therapy as a tool to help treat various diseases. In recent years, there has been an increase in the interest to use gene therapy as a potential treatment for patients who have type 1 diabetes.
Recent reports explain that many efforts have been made to identify methods that can replicate what happens when type 1 diabetes develops, with the goal of improving blood glucose control. Unfortunately, there has been limited success in terms of precision. Gene therapy, however, has been suggested as a potential target.
It is important to note that type 1 diabetes means the immune system is attacking beta cells of the pancreas. This is why the cells can’t produce insulin. These cells contain a surface that resembles what is known as beta cells. Current research in terms of gene therapy for type 1 diabetes involves using differentiated cells that can secrete insulin, but ensuring they do not have the same beta cell surface. This would help to ensure insulin can be secreted by cells that the immune system won’t target.
The research is still at a relatively early phase, even though various labs have been working on it for several years.
Stem cells and gene therapy would be combined in these treatments. Stem cell therapy would allow scientists to create cells that can differentiate into specialized cells. With gene therapy added, it will allow scientists to modify gene expressions of the cell, which can be used to create cells that are capable of secreting insulin.
Diabetes Management Technologies
The technologies used to help people manage diabetes and track their glucose levels are also constantly improving and advancing. It is essential to keep these discoveries in mind as well. They can further help patients understand the types of technologies they can access now and in the future to manage their condition.
Continuous glucose monitoring devices have been improving significantly recently. These devices now offer wireless communication with a smartphone, given that the phone has NFC capabilities. Simply holding the phone over the device for a few seconds provides a reading of blood glucose levels. Additionally, these devices can also submit signals to the smartphone when glucose levels are too low or too high. This ensures the patients know if they are close to situations like hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Insulin delivery systems are also getting smarter. These devices can help to monitor blood glucose levels and automatically inject insulin when it is required. With advancements made to the accuracy of these devices, it can significantly improve blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes, as well as in individuals who have insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.
Another significant achievement in the medical industry is the creation of an artificial pancreas. These are also essentially automated insulin delivery systems. They combine both a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump. This type of system significantly improves diabetes management and can help to reduce the risk of serious complications associated with the disease.
Increased Focus On Early Intervention
Researchers are also starting to focus on methods that can help with the early detection of diabetes in patients. Early identification of diabetes can significantly improve the outcomes, as doctors can implement an intervention strategy before the condition becomes problematic.
This has led to stricter guidelines for those who are prediabetic as well. People with prediabetes are advised to lose a greater amount of weight compared to previously published data. This includes dietary changes, as well as an increase in physical activity levels.
The idea here is also to spread awareness of diabetes and the potential causes behind the disease. This can help to implement strategies that assist in preventing the condition as well. When individuals are more aware of their risk related to the development of type 2 diabetes, for example, they might be more likely to implement the appropriate lifestyle changes for prevention.
Researchers are also looking at ways in which gene therapy or, more specifically, gene editing can be used to prevent diabetes. This research mainly focuses on type 1 diabetes. The idea here is to target the expression of genes that are known to be involved in the development of type 1 diabetes. If this is possible, it would enable researchers to modify the genetic makeup of individuals at high risk of this specific type of diabetes.
Conclusion
From stem cell therapy to using therapeutic tools that target genes, many new discoveries have been made in terms of diabetes prevention and treatment over the last few years. Patients should be kept up to date on these advancements and introduced to newer therapies that could help to improve their diabetes management strategy.