Bionic vs Artificial Pancreas
Anne L. Peters, MD: Hi. I'm Dr. Anne Peters at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in San Francisco, California. I am speaking with Dr. Howard Zisser, Medical Director of the Insulet Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Everyone is very excited about the "bionic pancreas."[1] Can you explain what that is and how it differs from the artificial pancreas?
Howard C. Zisser, MD: Technically we are talking about nomenclature. Something that is "bionic" replaces something that already exists in the body but is malfunctioning or not working properly. If you want a bionic pancreas, you need alpha cells, beta cells, and the entire exocrine pancreas as well. An "artificial pancreas" is not really an artificial pancreas; it is probably not even a bionic pancreas. However, if people talk about an artificial beta cell or another system that has glucagon and insulin (an artificial beta cell and alpha cell), it gets confusing. An artificial pancreas is not any one thing.
Some people have the idea that they are getting an artificial pancreas, like a new kidney -- that they will just put it on and walk away into the sunset and everything will be fine. However, this is more of a staged approach.
Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
COMMENTARY
What Is an Artificial Pancreas, Really?
Anne L. Peters, MD; Howard C. Zisser, MD
DisclosuresJune 26, 2014
Bionic vs Artificial Pancreas
Anne L. Peters, MD: Hi. I'm Dr. Anne Peters at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in San Francisco, California. I am speaking with Dr. Howard Zisser, Medical Director of the Insulet Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Everyone is very excited about the "bionic pancreas."[1] Can you explain what that is and how it differs from the artificial pancreas?
Howard C. Zisser, MD: Technically we are talking about nomenclature. Something that is "bionic" replaces something that already exists in the body but is malfunctioning or not working properly. If you want a bionic pancreas, you need alpha cells, beta cells, and the entire exocrine pancreas as well. An "artificial pancreas" is not really an artificial pancreas; it is probably not even a bionic pancreas. However, if people talk about an artificial beta cell or another system that has glucagon and insulin (an artificial beta cell and alpha cell), it gets confusing. An artificial pancreas is not any one thing.
Some people have the idea that they are getting an artificial pancreas, like a new kidney -- that they will just put it on and walk away into the sunset and everything will be fine. However, this is more of a staged approach.
Medscape Diabetes © 2014 WebMD, LLC
Cite this: What Is an Artificial Pancreas, Really? - Medscape - Jun 26, 2014.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Co-Authors
Anne L. Peters, MD, CDE
Professor, Endocrinology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Director, University of Southern California Clinical Diabetes Programs, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Served as a consultant for: Amylin/Lilly; Abbott Diabetes Care; Becton, Dickinson and Company; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Medtronic, Inc.; Perrigo; Roche; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; sanofi-aventis
Serve(d) as a speaker or a member of a speakers bureau for: Amylin/Lilly; NovoNordisk
Howard C. Zisser, MD
Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara; Visiting Associate, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California; Medical Director, Insulet Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts
Disclosure: Howard C. Zisser, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Insulet Corporation
Received research grant from: Novo Nordisk