FURI | Summer 2023

Analysis of In Vitro Applications of Synthetic Hydrogels to Develop Characteristic Structures for Type I Diabetes Treatments

Type I Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) is a chronic, life-long condition in which a patient’s pancreatic beta cells fail to produce sufficient amounts of insulin, leading to hyperglycemia or high blood sugar levels. Typical treatments involve frequent monitoring via continuous glucose monitors (CGM) or blood glucose monitors followed by daily insulin injections. Optimized synthetic or natural hydrogel encapsulation devices containing insulin-producing cells can potentially be used as an alternative to current treatments by providing a treatment option that is long-lasting and resistant to the body’s immune response.