New Implantable Devices and Oral Insulin Platform Advance Diabetes Treatment

Researchers have developed multiple innovative approaches to diabetes treatment that could potentially eliminate the need for daily insulin injections. These include implantable devices containing insulin-producing cells, a novel oral insulin delivery platform, and a biological implant that functions as an autonomous artificial pancreas.

MIT researchers are developing an implantable device that contains insulin-producing cells encapsulated to protect them from immune rejection, with an on-board oxygen generator to keep the cells healthy. In a new study, these encapsulated pancreatic islet cells survived in the body for at least 90 days. In mice that received the implants, the cells remained functional and produced enough insulin to control the animals' blood sugar levels. The device is powered wirelessly by an external antenna placed on the skin, which transfers energy to the device. The researchers increased the lifespan of the devices by making them more waterproof and more resilient to cracking, and improved the device electronics to deliver more power to the oxygen generator. In studies in rats and mice, the new device could function for at least 90 days after being implanted under the skin, with donor islet cells producing enough insulin to keep the animals' blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

Separately, researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan have developed a potential workaround using a tiny peptide that helps insulin pass through the intestinal wall. The team has designed an approach built on a cyclic peptide, known as the DNP peptide, which can traverse the small intestine. This platform enables oral delivery of insulin in a way that has not previously been possible. When administered orally to diabetic mice, the formulation rapidly reduced blood glucose levels to normal and maintained stable control with once-daily dosing over three days. This new platform appears to significantly lower the dose requirement, achieving a pharmacological bioavailability of around 33–41 percent compared to subcutaneous delivery.

Israeli and U.S. scientists have developed a biological implant that could one day eliminate the need for insulin injections. The technology is based on a living implant that continuously produces insulin from within the body. The implant functions as an autonomous artificial pancreas made of engineered living cells that directly sense glucose levels and release insulin as needed, without external devices or ongoing intervention. The research team encased the insulin-producing cells in specially engineered crystalline structures that shield them from immune attack. The implant's effectiveness was demonstrated in several animal models, where it maintained glucose regulation over extended periods without immune suppression.

The MIT researchers now plan to study whether they can get the devices to last for even longer in the body — up to two years, or longer. They are also exploring the possibility of using this approach to deliver cells that could produce other useful proteins. The Japanese researchers are advancing to further studies, including tests in larger animal models and systems that better replicate the human intestine. The Israeli-U.S. team hopes to move toward clinical trials in the near future, with the technology representing a broader therapeutic platform that could be adapted for other chronic conditions such as hemophilia.