by Anne Trafton | MIT News –
The cells can survive in the body for at least three months, producing enough insulin to control blood sugar levels, research shows.
Most diabetes patients must carefully monitor their blood sugar levels and inject insulin multiple times per day, to help keep their blood sugar from getting too high.
As a possible alternative to those injections, MIT researchers are developing an implantable device that contains insulin-producing cells. The device encapsulates the cells, protecting them from immune rejection, and it also carries an on-board oxygen generator to keep the cells healthy.
