Engineering a normally responsive bioartificial pancreas based on glucose-hypersensitive cells.

Abstract

An implantable bioartificial pancreas is promising for diabetes treatment; transformed cells may allow the fabrication of these tissue constructs at a medically relevant scale. However, transformed cells are generally glucose hypersensitive, i.e. insulin secretion is near maximal at much lower than physiological glucose levels. The development of a normally responsive construct based on hypersensitive cells was examined. Two systems of immobilized cells and glucose-consuming enzyme were considered: cells surrounded by the enzyme, and cells coimmobilized with the enzyme. Model simulations showed that, with properly chosen parameter values, the first system can mimic the response of normal islets.