New diabetes implant uses electricity to lower blood sugar and promote weight loss
Researchers have developed a remarkable new electronic implant that could transform type 2 diabetes treatment by lowering blood sugar without insulin or traditional drugs. The device uses a special electrically powered catalyst to convert excess glucose into a substance that the body eliminates through urine, potentially preventing unwanted energy from being stored as fat. In diabetic mice, the implant precisely…
Key points
- An experimental implant uses electricity to turn excess blood sugar into gluconate, which the body excretes in urine.
- In diabetic mice, the device regulated blood sugar and led to weight loss over six weeks of testing.
- The implant has not been tested in humans; researchers next aim to develop it into a medical device.
Researchers at ETH Zurich in Basel have developed an experimental electronic implant that uses electricity to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, rather than relying on insulin or conventional medications. The device converts excess glucose into gluconate, a substance the body can remove through urine. The findings were published in the journal Science.
In early tests with diabetic mice, the implant regulated blood sugar and the animals lost weight. The work was led by Martin Fussenegger, a professor in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich.
How the implant works
The implant's core is a graphite felt covered with tiny gold clusters, which are coated with smaller platinum particles to create a surface that drives the glucose reaction. The materials are inorganic, so the system needs no living cells or enzymes, avoiding issues the team faced with earlier designs that depended on biological components.
A conventional glucose sensor measures tissue glucose and sends readings by Bluetooth to a smartphone or smartwatch, which activates the implant. Power arrives wirelessly at 13.56 MHz, and the device shuts off once glucose returns to the target range, a closed-loop setup meant to prevent dangerous lows.
We are now showing that we can take control of glucose directly, using electronics rather than drugs
— Martin Fussenegger
Test results and next steps
The catalyst first converted glucose in 5 liters of nutrient solution, roughly the blood volume of an adult human. In diabetic mice, the implant regulated blood sugar precisely and the animals lost weight, and it worked reliably over six weeks without signs of tissue damage.
Fussenegger said the system runs at very low voltage and that experiments showed no evidence of tissue damage from electrical or thermal effects. The device has not been tested in humans, and the team's next goal is to turn it into a medical device for further development and eventual clinical testing.
