Second Hormone used in Artificial Pancreas

JDRF who are working on an Artificial Pancreas for type 1 diabetes have announced they successful tested for safety and efficacy the use of an extra hormone 'glucagon', in addition to insulin. Glucagon is a naturally occurring hormone that raises blood sugars in response to hypoglycemia and is impaired in people with type 1 diabetes. The addition of glucagon to the closed-loop system was designed to more closely mimic the physiology of a person without diabetes. The trial was completed by researchers from Boston University and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Currently, glucagon is not used as a routine part of type 1 diabetes therapy, but is used in large doses to treat people in low blood sugar emergencies.

Press Release: Novel Artificial Pancreas System Using Two Hormones