In the News.. Beta cells in microbeads, new injectable for T2D, Mannkind buys V-Go... and more!

It's in the news! Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week: new research that keeps beta cells safer after transplant, a new drug for type 2 also shows weight loss success, the makers of Afrezza buy a simple patch pump, Beyond Type 1 tackles mental health and diabetes and lots more!

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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
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In the news is brought to you by T1D Exchange! T1D Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for the entire T1D population.
https://t1dexchange.org/stacey/
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Our top story, another approach to beta cell encapsulation. There are a few methods being tested to protect the transplanted cells from the body’s immune system. A new and promising one seems to be a new biomaterial in the form of microgel beads. This study was in mice only but after three months the beta cells survived and maintained blood sugar levels with no rejection drugs. Interestingly, this study put the cells into the omentum, not the liver as is apparently the usual spot. I never heard of the omentum.. in case you haven’t, it’s a layer of tissue connecting the stomach with the other abdominal organs. It’s non-vital so it’s safer if any complications take place. No word on when human trials might begin here.
https://newatlas.com/medical/microgel-beads-safer-path-cell-transplants-treat-diabetes/
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FDA approval for a new injection for type 2 diabetes called Mounjaro. It’s made by Eli Illy and is shown to lower blood sugar and can help patients lose weight. Existing medicines target a hormone called the glucagon-like peptide-1 that is involved in the control of blood sugar. But Mounjaro targets a second hormone, the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, as well. It is the first medicine to target both. While not yet approved as an obesity treatment, it’s performed very well in clinical trials for weight loss. One study showed it helped patients lose an average of 16 to 22 percent of their weight: That’s on par with bariatric surgery
https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/13/fda-approves-lilly-diabetes-drug-that-analysts-expect-to-be-a-big-seller/

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Big deal for MannKind, the makers of Afrezza inhalable insulin. They’re acquiring Zealand Pharma’s wearable V-Go Insulin Delivery Device. The V-Go is a patch pump that’s meant for people with type 2 – it delivers basal insulin at a set rate all day long and can give boluses only in increments of 2 units of insulin at a time, up to 36 units in 24 hours. The deal is expected to close by the end of the month.
https://www.mddionline.com/diabetes/mannkind-acquires-wearable-insulin-device-zealand-pharma
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Young adults who were at risk of food insecurity had an increased incidence of diabetes 10 years later, according to the results of a study from Washington State University. Although previous research has associated food insecurity with a range of health issues, this study showed a connection over time, which could indicate a causal relationship. The investigators could not identify the exact reason for this connection, previous research has shown that food-insecure households often have diets with lower nutritional values. The study results did not indicate differences among ethnicities or races, but they also said that a limitation of the study was the number of minorities in the sample, which could be too low to show a pattern, according to investigators. The investigators plan to evaluate food insecurity risk and health issues within American Indian and Alaska Native and American Indian populations, which they said are often left out of annual reports on food insecurity.

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Beyond Type 1 has a new mental health portal.. announced as part of this Mental Health Awareness Month. The global nonprofit is partnering with BetterHelp to provide affordable mental health resources and services to its online community with two weeks of free, professional online therapy. Beyond Type 1 will continue to expand the resources available on the site.. it’s not just for this month.

https://beyondtype1.org/mental-health/.
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Another entry into the quest to find a non-invasive way to monitor glucose. Movano Inc reports they have – quote - successfully validated the functionality of its proprietary and patented system-on-a-chip. They say this is designed specifically for blood pressure or glucose monitoring systems. It’s very early here.. they are also creating a prototype for clinical studies. But this tech got them a new patent. We’re keeping an eye on these non-invasive devices – it remains to be seen if any will be accurate enough to use to dose insulin.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movano-successfully-completes-functional-testing-of-smallest-ever-custom-mmwave-sensor-designed-for-non-invasive-glucose-and-cuffless-blood-pressure-monitoring-301545710.html

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Right back to the news in a moment but first we’ve got a new sponsor. As I mentioned, The T1D Exchange Registry is an online research study, designed to harness the power of individuals with type 1 diabetes. It’s a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. Personal information remains confidential and participation is fully voluntary. Once enrolled, participants will complete annual surveys and have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on specific topics related to T1D. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy Sign up at T1DExchange.org slash Stacey (that’s S-T-A-C-E-Y).
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Back to the news.. Big candy recall, so heads up if you use any of these for lows. It includes specific varieties of SKITTLES® Gummies, STARBURST® Gummies, and LIFE SAVERS® Gummies due to the potential presence of a very thin metal strand embedded in the gummies or loose in the bag. No illness or injuries have been reported. I’ll link up the specific lot and manufacturer information.
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mars-wrigley-confectionery-us-llc-issues-voluntary-recall-specific-varieties-skittlesr-gummies
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A college fashion design major has a unique senior project. Naomi Kinnamon spent her senior year working on a collection titled “Type 1 Of A Kind.” This series draws on her experiences as a woman with type 1 diabetes who struggles to find clothing that fits comfortably with her insulin pump. She’s lived with type 1 since 6th grade and says the most difficult clothing to find were dresses and jumpsuits. So she designed her own. Kinnamon showed off her designs at SCAD – the Savannah College of Art and Design and I’ll link that up in the show notes.
https://www.wsav.com/now/scad-senior-designs-clothing-for-women-with-type-1-diabetes/
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On this week’s long format episode, you’ll hear about the latest on the iLet Bionic Pancreas. Next week.. Mike Joyce is set to complete an incredible long-distance hiking trail. It’s actually three trails – the longest in the US – he’ll talk about how he does this with type 1.
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That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.