Smart artificial on-skin pancreas: the next-generation therapy for diabetes

• Project/Area Number: 20K20192
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Sclence and Technology
• Principal Investigator: 陳 思淵 地方独立行政法人神奈川県立産業技術総合研究所, 「貼るだけ人工膵臓」プロジェクト (松元P), 研究員(任期有) (70814193)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: Diabetes treatment / Glucose responsive / Microneedles / Insulin / hydrogel

Outline of Research at the Start

This project will develop an electronics-free, enzyme-free and nanoparticle-free smart artificial on-skin pancreas, which is a hybrid microneedles patch that can continuously monitor the glucose level while autonomously deliver insulin through the regulation from the “skin layer” formed on the surface. This novel on-skin pancreas is patient friendly, safe, economical and capable of providing long-term on-demand insulin release, which will be a breakthrough in diabetes treatment area and holds great promise to be a “game changer” for diabetes treatment.