̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Roman Hovorka

US Food and Drug Administration approves Cambridge-developed artificial pancreas

cjb250 — Fri, 24 May 2024 12:39:44 +0000

This means that even more people living with the disease will be able to use this life-changing app. For the first time, the FDA authorised the use of the artificial pancreas system in pregnancy.

CamAPS FX, produced by Cambridge spinout company CamDiab (www.camdiab.com), is an Android app that can be used to help manage glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes, including during pregnancy.

̽��ֱ��app allows a compatible insulin pump and a compatible continuous glucose monitor to ‘talk to each other’, creating an artificial pancreas.

̽��ֱ��CamAPS FX closed loop algorithm was given FDA authorisation on Thursday 23 May. It had already been CE-marked for use in the UK and the EU.

CamAPS FX creator Roman Hovorka is Professor of Metabolic Technology at the Institute of Metabolic Science and Department of Paediatrics at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, where the technology was developed.

He said: "We set out to help people with type 1 diabetes and their families live better lives and we’re delighted that the FDA has reviewed the safety and effectiveness of CamAPS FX and has given the technology its approval."

"It has been extensively tested and we’re proud that it is considered by many to be the best algorithm out there."

CamAPS FX is already used by more than 27,000 people in 15 countries across Europe and Australia. Artificial pancreas systems such as CamAPS FX have been granted approval for wide use by the NHS in November 2023 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

“Incredible” diabetes management app now recommended by NICE

cg605 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 16:22:48 +0000

̽��ֱ��National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today (7 November 2023) recommended hybrid closed loop systems including the CamAPS FX app for use in managing type 1 diabetes, meaning that even more people living with the disease will be able to use this life-changing app.

Artificial pancreas successfully trialled for use by type 2 diabetes patients

cjb250 — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:00:03 +0000

Around 415 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with type 2 diabetes, which costs around $760 billion in annual global health expenditure. According to Diabetes UK, in the UK alone, more than 4.9million people have diabetes, of whom 90% have type 2 diabetes, and this is estimated to cost the NHS £10bn per year.

Type 2 diabetes causes levels of glucose – blood sugar – to become too high. Ordinarily, blood sugar levels are controlled by the release of insulin, but in type 2 diabetes insulin production is disrupted. Over time, this can cause serious problems including eye, kidney and nerve damage and heart disease.

̽��ֱ��disease is usually managed through a combination of lifestyle changes – improved diet and more exercise, for example – and medication, with the aim of keeping glucose levels low.

Researchers from the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge have developed an artificial pancreas that can help maintain healthy glucose levels. ̽��ֱ��device combines an off-the-shelf glucose monitor and insulin pump with an app developed by the team, known as CamAPS HX. This app is run by an algorithm that predicts how much insulin is required to maintain glucose levels in the target range.

̽��ֱ��researchers have previously shown that an artificial pancreas run by a similar algorithm is effective for patients living with type 1 diabetes, from adults through to very young children. They have also successfully trialled the device in patients with type 2 diabetes who require kidney dialysis.

Today, in Nature Medicine, the team report the first trial of the device in a wider population living with type 2 diabetes (not requiring kidney dialysis). Unlike the artificial pancreas used for type 1 diabetes, this new version is a fully closed loop system – whereas patients with type 1 diabetes need to tell their artificial pancreas that they are about to eat to allow adjustment of insulin, for example, with this version they can leave the device to function entirely automatically.

̽��ֱ��researchers recruited 26 patients from the Wolfson Diabetes and Endocrine Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and a local group of GP surgeries. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups – the first group would trial the artificial pancreas for eight weeks and then switch to the standard therapy of multiple daily insulin injections; the second group would take this control therapy first and then switch to the artificial pancreas after eight weeks.

̽��ֱ��team used several measures to assess how effectively the artificial pancreas worked. ̽��ֱ��first was the proportion of time that patients spent with their glucose levels within a target range of between 3.9 and 10.0mmol/L. On average, patients using the artificial pancreas spent two-thirds (66%) of their time within the target range – double that while on the control (32%).

A second measure was the proportion of time spent with glucose levels above 10.0mmol/L. Over time, high glucose levels raise the risk of potentially serious complications. Patients taking the control therapy spent two-thirds (67%) of their time with high glucose levels – this was halved to 33% when using the artificial pancreas.

Average glucose levels fell – from 12.6mmol/L when taking the control therapy to 9.2mmol/L while using the artificial pancreas.

̽��ֱ��app also reduced levels of a molecule known as glycated haemoglobin, or HbA1c. Glycated haemoglobin develops when haemoglobin, a protein within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, joins with glucose in the blood, becoming ‘glycated’. By measuring HbA1c, clinicians are able to get an overall picture of what a person's average blood sugar levels have been over a period of weeks or months. For people with diabetes, the higher the HbA1c, the greater the risk of developing diabetes-related complications. After the control therapy, average HbA1c levels were 8.7%, while after using the artificial pancreas they were 7.3%.

No patients experienced dangerously-low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) during the study. One patient was admitted to hospital while using the artificial pancreas, due to an abscess at the site of the pump cannula.

Dr Charlotte Boughton from the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, who co-led the study, said: “Many people with type 2 diabetes struggle to manage their blood sugar levels using the currently available treatments, such as insulin injections. ̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas can provide a safe and effective approach to help them, and the technology is simple to use and can be implemented safely at home.”

Dr Aideen Daly, also from the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, said: “One of the barriers to widespread use of insulin therapy has been concern over the risk of severe ‘hypos’ – dangerously low blood sugar levels. But we found that no patients on our trial experienced these and patients spent very little time with blood sugar levels lower than the target levels.”

Feedback from participants suggested that participants were happy to have their glucose levels controlled automatically by the system, and nine out of ten (89%) reported spending less time managing their diabetes overall. Users highlighted the elimination of the need for injections or fingerprick testing, and increased confidence in managing blood glucose as key benefits. Downsides included increased anxiety about the risk of hypoglycaemia, which the researchers say may reflect increased awareness and monitoring of glucose levels, and practical annoyances with wearing of devices.

̽��ֱ��team now plan to carry out a much larger multicentre study to build on their findings and have submitted the device for regulatory approval with a view to making it commercially available for outpatients with type 2 diabetes.

̽��ֱ��research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Reference
Daly, AB, Boughton, CK, et al. Fully automated closed-loop insulin delivery in adults with type 2 diabetes: an open-label, single-centre randomised crossover trial. Nat Med; 11 Jan 2023; DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02144-z

Cambridge scientists have successfully trialled an artificial pancreas for use by patients living with type 2 diabetes. ̽��ֱ��device – powered by an algorithm developed at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge – doubled the amount of time patients were in the target range for glucose compared to standard treatment and halved the time spent experiencing high glucose levels.

Many people with type 2 diabetes struggle to manage their blood sugar levels using the currently available treatments, such as insulin injections. ̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas can provide a safe and effective approach to help them

Charlotte Boughton

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge

Cambridge artificial pancreas

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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̽��ֱ��life-changing artificial pancreas

cjb250 — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 08:30:12 +0000

An artificial pancreas developed by Cambridge researchers is helping protect very young children with type 1 diabetes at a vulnerable time of their lives. New research shows that it is both safe to use and more effective at managing their blood sugar levels than current technology.

Artificial pancreas trialled for outpatients with type 2 diabetes for first time

cjb250 — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 14:00:43 +0000

Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for just under a third (30%) of cases. As the number of people living with type 2 diabetes increases, so too does the number of people requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney failure increases the risk of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia – abnormally low or high levels of blood sugar respectively – which in turn can cause complications from dizziness to falls and even to coma.

Managing diabetes in patients with kidney failure is challenging for both patients and healthcare professionals. Many aspects of their care are poorly understood, including targets for blood sugar levels and treatments. Most oral diabetes medications are not recommended for these patients, so insulin injections are the most commonly used diabetes therapy – though optimal insulin dosing regimens are difficult to establish.

A team at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has previously developed an artificial pancreas with the aim of replacing insulin injections for patients living with type 1 diabetes. In research published today in Nature Medicine, the team – working with researchers at Bern ̽��ֱ�� Hospital and ̽��ֱ�� of Bern, Switzerland – has shown that the device can be used to support patients living with both type 2 diabetes and kidney failure.

Unlike the artificial pancreas being used for type 1 diabetes, this version is a fully closed loop system – whereas patients with type 1 diabetes need to tell their artificial pancreas that they are about to eat to allow adjustment of insulin, for example, with this new version they can leave the device to function entirely automatically.

Dr Charlotte Boughton from the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, who led the study, said: “Patients living with type 2 diabetes and kidney failure are a particularly vulnerable group and managing their condition – trying to prevent potentially dangerous highs or lows of blood sugar levels – can be a challenge. There’s a real unmet need for new approaches to help them manage their condition safely and effectively.”

̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas is a small, portable medical device designed to carry out the function of a healthy pancreas in controlling blood glucose levels, using digital technology to automate insulin delivery. ̽��ֱ��system is worn externally on the body, and is made up of three functional components: a glucose sensor, a computer algorithm to calculate the insulin dose, and an insulin pump. Software in the user’s smartphone sends a signal to an insulin pump to adjust the level of insulin the patient receives. The glucose sensor measures the patient’s blood sugar levels and sends these back to the smartphone to enable it to make further adjustments.

̽��ֱ��team recruited 26 patients requiring dialysis between October 2019 and November 2020. Thirteen participants were randomised to receive the artificial pancreas first and 13 to receive standard insulin therapy first. ̽��ֱ��researchers compared how long patients spent in the target blood sugar range (5.6 to 10.0mmol/L) over a 20-day period as outpatients.

Patients using the artificial pancreas spent on average 53% of their time in the target range, compared to 38% when they used the control treatment. This equated to around 3.5 additional hours every day spent in the target range compared with the control therapy.

Mean blood sugar levels were lower with the artificial pancreas (10.1 vs. 11.6 mmol/L). ̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas reduced the amount of time patients spent with potentially dangerously low blood sugar levels, or ‘hypos’.

̽��ֱ��efficacy of the artificial pancreas improved considerably over the study period as the algorithm adapted, and the time spent in the target blood sugar range increased from 36% on day one to over 60% by the twentieth day. This finding highlights the importance of using an adaptive algorithm, which can adjust in response to an individual’s changing insulin requirements over time.

When asked about their experiences of using the artificial pancreas, everyone who responded said they would recommend it to others. Nine out of ten (92%) reported that they spent less time managing their diabetes with the artificial pancreas than during the control period, and similar numbers (87%) were less worried about their blood sugar levels when using it.

Other benefits of the artificial pancreas reported by study participants included less need for finger-prick blood sugar checks, less time required to manage their diabetes resulting in more personal time and freedom, and improved peace of mind and reassurance. Downsides included discomfort wearing the insulin pump and carrying the smartphone.

Senior author Professor Roman Hovorka, also from the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, said: “Not only did the artificial pancreas increase the amount of time patients spent within the target range for the blood sugar levels, it also gave the users peace of mind. They were able to spend less time having to focus on managing their condition and worrying about their blood sugar levels, and more time getting on with their lives.”

Dr Boughton added: “Now that we’ve shown the artificial pancreas works in one of the more difficult-to-treat groups of patients, we believe it could prove useful in the wider population of people living with type 2 diabetes.”

̽��ֱ��team is currently trialling the artificial pancreas for outpatient use in people living with type 2 diabetes who do not need dialysis and exploring the system in complex medical situations such as perioperative care.

Dr Lia Bally, who co-led the study in Bern, said: “ ̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas has the potential to become a key feature of integrated personalised care for people with complex medical needs.”

̽��ֱ��research was supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, ̽��ֱ��Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation, Swiss Society for Endocrinology and Diabetes, and Swiss Diabetes Foundation and Swiss Kidney Foundation.

Reference
Boughton, CK et al. Fully automated closed-loop glucose control compared with standard insulin therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes requiring dialysis: an open-label, randomised crossover trial. Nat Med; 4 Aug 2021; DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01453-z

An artificial pancreas could soon help those people living with type 2 diabetes who also require kidney dialysis. Tests led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Inselspital, ̽��ֱ�� Hospital of Bern, Switzerland, show that the device can help patients safely and effectively manage their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of low blood sugar levels.

Patients living with type 2 diabetes and kidney failure are a particularly vulnerable group and managing their condition can be a challenge. There’s a real unmet need for new approaches to help them manage their condition safely and effectively

Charlotte Boughton

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge

Patient using the artificial pancreas

Yes

World’s first artificial pancreas app licensed for people with type 1 diabetes in UK

cjb250 — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:39:50 +0000

̽��ֱ��CamAPS FX app works with an insulin pump and a glucose monitor to automatically deliver insulin to people living with the condition via a complex algorithm.

Around 400,000 people in the UK are affected by type 1 diabetes, 29,000 of them children. It is a chronic, life-threatening condition that has a life-long impact on those diagnosed with it and their families. Currently, people with type 1 diabetes rely on a routine of finger-prick blood tests and insulin injections or infusions just to stay alive, because their pancreas no longer produces insulin itself.

̽��ֱ��app - which Professor Hovorka hopes will become available on the NHS in the future - will take over much of the management of the condition. This is particularly important at night, when many people with type 1 diabetes experience potentially dangerous low blood glucose levels.

̽��ֱ��app can also upload the user’s blood glucose measurements seamlessly to Diasend, an online platform, allowing their diabetes team to provide more personalised care.

̽��ֱ��CamAPS FX app is backed by 13 years of clinical research carried out by Professor Hovorka and his research group at the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science. It is licensed for use by both adults and children with the condition and is the first artificial pancreas system to be licensed for use in pregnancy, or by young children aged one and above.

Professor Hovorka said: “This is a major stepping stone towards providing widely available, clinically proven, and user-friendly artificial pancreas technology to people with type 1 diabetes.

“Our aim is to alleviate the ever-present burden of type 1 diabetes and improve health outcomes. This is the outcome of hard work, with more to come. We are indebted to all who are helping us on this journey.”

At launch, the app will be supported by a small number of UK diabetes clinics. People who wish to use the app will need to confirm which clinic they attend, and must be using a Dana RS pump and a Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor.

Professor Hovorka and his research team will work to continue to bring this technology to all who need it, via the NHS. Key to this will be the generation of data to support the case for NHS provision.

̽��ֱ��commercial launch is a milestone in the journey towards a fully automated artificial pancreas for everyone with type 1 diabetes. Such technology will fundamentally change life with the condition by working with a range of insulin pumps and glucose monitors to lift the burden of managing a condition that is relentlessly unpredictable day and night.

Professor Hovorka will continue refining the artificial pancreas through research into mealtime glucose control and improving ease of use.

̽��ֱ��research behind the app has been funded by the type 1 diabetes charity JDRF, Diabetes UK, the National Institute for Health Research, the National Institutes of Health, Horizon 2020, and the Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Karen Addington, UK Chief Executive of JDRF, said: “JDRF is proud to have supported Professor Hovorka’s artificial pancreas research from the beginning, nearly 15 years ago. This app is a major innovation and a significant milestone on the road to a fully automated and interoperable artificial pancreas. There’s still more work to do, but this is an exciting step.”

Fiona O’Reilly, who has been using the app as part of a clinical trial, said: “Overall, it makes me feel free. It is the closest I have been to living without the burden of type 1 diabetes since I was diagnosed, which is a fabulous feeling – I feel less fearful of hypoglycaemia, and less ashamed of the fact that I find achieving good glycaemic control so tricky.

“And it makes me feel more positive of my future with diabetes, that I have a chance of avoiding all the associated complications. It also makes me feel lucky to live in a time where this technology is possible and really grateful to be given the chance to try it out.”

̽��ֱ��app is now available for UK users to download onto Android phones via the Amazon Appstore. ̽��ֱ��app is available on a subscription basis starting at £70 per month.

Adapted from a press release by the JDRF.

̽��ֱ��world’s first licensed, downloadable artificial pancreas app for people with type 1 diabetes launches today, based on over a decade of research by Professor Roman Hovorka at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This is a major stepping stone towards providing widely available, clinically proven, and user friendly artificial pancreas technology to people with type 1 diabetes

Roman Hovorka

Screenshot from CamAPS FX app

Yes

̽��ֱ��Academy of Medical Sciences announces new Fellows for 2017

cjb250 — Mon, 08 May 2017 09:00:39 +0000

̽��ֱ��Fellows have been elected for their contribution to biomedical and health research, the generation of new knowledge in medical sciences and its translation into benefits to society.

This year's elected Fellows have expertise that spans women’s health, immunology, public health and infectious disease among many other fields.

Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said: “As we elect new Fellows each year, the Academy continues to grow as a unique and productive hub of the best minds in UK medical science. Our expanding and evolving Fellowship allows the Academy to play a vital role in tackling the major health challenges facing society today and in the future.

“ ̽��ֱ��election of these 46 exceptional biomedical and health researchers is a well-deserved honour. Each newly elected Fellow has made an outstanding impact in the community, contributing to the development of better healthcare - from fundamental scientific understanding to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. I am delighted to welcome them to the Academy and greatly look forward to working with them all in the future.”

̽��ֱ��newly elected Fellows include Professor Giovanna Mallucci, whose research is pioneering new treatments for dementia and who was recently announced as one of the five associate directors of the UK Dementia Research Institute.

Professor Giovanna Mallucci said: “Election to the Fellowship is a great honour and distinction, internationally recognised, and I am delighted and proud to be awarded it. This is a tremendous achievement in any medical research career: a milestone in a scientific and personal journey. It is a real privilege to join this this community of distinguished, inspirational and luminary leaders in the medical sciences.”

Four of Cambridge’s Fellows are cancer specialists, including CRUK Cambridge Centre Director Professor Richard Gilbertson.

Professor Gilbertson said: “I am deeply honoured to have received this recognition of our work and feel privileged to join such a wonderful organisation dedicated to promoting excellence in medical science, ultimately for the good of patients. This honour belongs to my many postdocs, PhD students, technicians and wonderful collaborators who over the years who have worked with me to pursue fantastic science. ̽��ֱ��cadre of scientists elected from Cambridge also reflects the vibrant cancer research community in our city and the terrific support of the clinical school.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Fellows elected in 2017 are:

Professor Sheila Bird OBE FRSE, Visiting Senior Fellow, MRC Biostatistics Unit, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine and Institute of Public Health and Visiting Professor at Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Strathclyde ̽��ֱ��
Dr Jason Carroll, Senior Group Leader, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Professor Richard Gilbertson, Li Ka Shing Chair of Oncology, Head of Department of Oncology, Director, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Professor Gregory Hannon, Royal Society Wolfson Research Professor of Molecular Cancer Biology, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Dr Roman Hovorka, Director of Research, WT-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Professor Arthur Kaser, ̽��ֱ�� Chair of Gastroenterology, Honorary Consultant Physician, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Professor Giovanna Mallucci, van Geest Professor of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical Neurosciences, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge; Associate Director UK Dementia Research Institute at ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge; Programme Leader and Head of Neurobiology, MRC Toxicology Unit, ̽��ֱ�� of Leicester
Professor Hugh Markus, Professor of Stroke Medicine, Clinical Neurosciences, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge
Professor Christine J. Watson, Professor of Cell and Cancer Biology, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge

In addition, two Fellows were elected from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute:

Dr Anne Bertolotti, Programme Leader, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Dr Matthew Hurles, Senior Group Leader, Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

̽��ֱ��new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on 28 June 2017.

Nine researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge are among 46 world leading UK researchers who have been elected to the prestigious Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Academy of Medical Sciences

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Artificial pancreas trial in young children with diabetes receives €4.6millon grant from European Commission

sjr81 — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:55:21 +0000

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children; around one in 4,000 children under 14 years of age is diagnosed with the disease each year in the UK. ̽��ֱ��disease causes the pancreas to stop producing sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels, and poor glucose control can lead to complications including eye, heart and kidney disease. Episodes of very low glucose levels can cause serious complications and may be life threatening.

People affected by the condition have to manage their condition through long term treatment. This usually involves regular insulin injections – in some cases, several times a day. However, a team at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals hopes to replace these treatments with an artificial pancreas, a small, portable medical device designed to carry out the function of a healthy pancreas in controlling blood glucose levels, using digital technology to automate insulin delivery. ̽��ֱ��system is worn externally on the body, and is made up of three functional components: continuous glucose monitoring, a computer algorithm to calculate the insulin dose, and an insulin pump.

̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas promises to transform management of type 1 diabetes. Several trials have already shown that it is effective for use both school children and adults in the home environment, and last year saw the first natural birth to a mother fitted with an artificial pancreas. However, there has as yet been no research into its use by young children at home.

Now, KidsAP, a collaboration led the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and involving institutes across Europe and in the US, has received a €4.6millon under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme to carry out a trial of the artificial pancreas among children aged one to seven years with type 1 diabetes. Cambridge has received a €1.6m share of the grant to act as coordinator of the project.

“We’ve already seen that the artificial pancreas can have a very positive effect on people’s lives and now, thanks to funding from the European Commission, we can see whether young children will also see these same benefits,” said Dr Roman Hovorka from the Department of Paediatrics at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, who is leading the project. “At the moment, children have to have frequent insulin injections that are at best inconvenient, but at worst painful. We hope this new technology will eliminate this need.”

An initial pilot of 24 children, the main study will split 94 children into two groups: one will be treated over a year by the artificial pancreas and the other half by state-of-the-art insulin pump therapy, already used by some adults and teenagers. ̽��ֱ��researchers will measure quality of life and investigate the impact of the two approaches on the children’s daily life, as well as looking at which is the more effective, and cost-effective, approach.

“If the artificial pancreas is shown to be more beneficial than insulin pump therapy, then we expect that it will change how type 1 diabetes is managed both nationally and internationally, with a much improved quality of life for young children,” added Professor David Dunger, collaborator on the project.

An international trial to test whether an artificial pancreas can help young children manage their type 1 diabetes will begin next year, thanks to a major grant awarded by the European Commission.

We’ve already seen that the artificial pancreas can have a very positive effect on people’s lives and now, thanks to funding from the European Commission, we can see whether young children will also see these same benefits.

Roman Hovorka

Diabetes UK

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