Researchers combine engineering and medicine to create a self contained insulin delivery implant
Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology along with colleagues from the University of Washington and the National University of Ireland Galway have developed an intradermal device that releases insulin into the bloodstream while resisting scar overgrowth. The team tested the device in mice and observed a favorable interaction with the body’s immune system. The findings appeared in Nature Communications .
Earlier attempts to suppress the immune reaction to intradermal implants relied on pharmacological drugs. This research takes a mechanical route. The device features two chambers one housing insulin and the other capable of being inflated and deflated. An external drive controls the inflation cycle enabling precise manipulation of the implant after placement.
In experiments the chamber was inflated for five minutes every twelve hours. This routine slowed scar formation and altered the structure of the surrounding tissue. Instead of a dense collagen network, the scars showed a more dispersed arrangement of fibers. The effect arises from the mechanical repulsion of neutrophils immune cells that participate in wound defense around the implant.
For people with type 1 diabetes daily insulin injections or continual use of an external insulin pump are common. An implanted under the skin insulin device has the potential to greatly improve quality of life by removing the need for periodic injections. It would also reduce the risk of forgetfulness or loss of consciousness during insulin administration. Yet immune reactions frequently attack implanted devices leading to scar tissue that blocks insulin release.
The authors report that the implant design can limit immune cell activity and partially curb scar formation. This opens the door for more efficient insulin delivery into the bloodstream. A human version of the implant has already been created and demonstrated to be implantable under the skin and feasible for use in a cadaver. Plans include adding a glucose sensor so insulin release can respond to blood glucose spikes. Researchers also aim to adapt the device for cancer immunotherapy in ovarian cancer and to deliver drugs to the heart to help prevent heart failure after a heart attack.