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Live Video Event to Answer Your Artificial Pancreas Questions

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Aaron Kowalski, JDRF’s Program Manager for Metabolic Control and the head of our Artificial Pancreas Project, volunteered to answer your questions via live video feed through our Promise Campaign blog on Wednesday, January 27. We recorded this broadcast for those of you that weren't able to watch it live.



It a takes a couple of minutes for the viewer to load but if it's not loading,
 try the JDRF Advocacy channel at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4256828.


User Comments


Posted by Kathryn Holt at 3/11/2010 9:02 AM
I was diagnosed with Type1 diabetes when I was 2yr old. I am now 36, and have had a kidney transplant and two failed pancreas transplants. I am very interested in finding out how to possibly be in the trials for this Artifical Pancreas. I would love to help find a cure for this disease.

Posted by RIMA at 2/6/2010 8:22 AM
My nephew suffers of with type 1 diabete, I´m spanish speaker, and is hard to find information about artificila pancrea and Dr. Aaron Kowalski investigation. Please send me web site ruls, i so I can continue looking for information.

Posted by julie at 2/2/2010 9:59 AM
It's been three years since our 14yr old daughter was diagnosed. Yes, we want a cure!! but see the little pluses in daily life when you come out with improved stuff...like slim bs monitors with pretty colors that can be down loaded. I wish there was glucose strips to keep in the kids pockets (similar to benadryl or lysterine strip products- their small and not bulky like a cylinder of tablets) time to change this one! Also, would like to see a glucose monitor that gives a digital display of bs reading at-a-glance with built in alarms ... maybe moved every three days on their body.. about the size of a quarter or like the face of a watch...so no (or less) finger pokes. Our daughter opts for shots (4-5 a day) so as not to have the constant reminder and bulk. We want smaller and smarter options. Thank you for all you do and for reading our comment.

Posted by Kim at 1/29/2010 10:41 AM
I missed the presentation as the live streaming was blocked by our network at work. Can you please post the webcast so others can watch it as well?

Posted by Joanne at 1/28/2010 11:37 PM
Thank you for your involvement and commitment to the Artificial Pancreas Project. My husband, and 3 boys have Type 1 and I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. My husband has had diabetes for 36 years and he is now 60, my oldest son has had diabetes for 20 years and he is now 25, my middle son has had diabetes for 22 years and he is now 23 and my youngest son has had diabetes for 11 years and he is now 22. I am so grateful for the the research and all you do to help find a better way to manage diabetes and find a cure.

Posted by Jill at 1/28/2010 2:53 AM
I have been a diabetic now for almost 48 yrs this February and a host of other autoimmune diseases that are starting to add up. I only have gastro paresis and a slight bit if retinopathy as complications, and don't want more, but lately it seems possible with my control sprialing out of control. I have been pumping for 30 years this year, first with an Autosyringe and then with a host of MM pumps, and have used the MM CGM for a year. But the cost was too much for me to deal with CMG and my insurance won't cover it. How long until a true closed loop system is available and what will the approx. cost be? And how much of the bg monitoring will I have to do on my own besides what they closed loop system promises. Also, implantable or external (I remember many experiments where they wanted to go internal)? All this versus waiting for the day they just do the pancreas transplant from cloned cells (Why wait until I need more than once organ)?

Posted by barb at 1/27/2010 8:10 PM
Do you see a cure any time in the near future?

Posted by Dylan at 1/27/2010 5:40 PM
So why didn't this website post a recording of this live blog? What about the people that weren't free at noon!?

Posted by bryan wasserman at 1/27/2010 1:06 PM
Oh shoot, it was at noon Eastern Stdd Time! Is that why I don't see my question posted (at ~10:15am Pacific)?

Posted by Dana at 1/27/2010 12:20 PM
I am always excited to hear about new technology to make day to day living with T1 easier, and more controllable. With any type of machine or equipment, there will always be issues, people forget it is there to assist in diabetes management. Until there is a cure, you still have to make healthy choices with stress reduction, nutrition, exercise, and insulin therapy. I remember back in the day when it took 15 mins to get a blood sugar reading from a glucose meter. Focus on day to living with healthy choices in tandem with technology and look forward to a cure in the future, which is VERY near.

Posted by Darcey at 1/27/2010 11:21 AM
my 13 year olddaughter has been diabetic for 8 years. She's worn a pump for 5 years. She took part in a CGM system trial at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic 4-5 years ago. When I mentioned to her about the artificial pancreas, she was not interested because it would just be one more thing to have hooked to her and for me to monitor. I think the idea is awesome, but until it's made more compact, I know my teenager will not be interested, unfortunately. I'm wondering what/if insurances are going to pay for this device?

Posted by bryan wasserman at 1/27/2010 11:18 AM
My chief worry is that putting significant resources toward infusion pump/cgm technology may detract from proper funding of CURE research. I've been t1 diabetic for 27 yrs, and using pump for 11 yrs. Though I've tried 2 CGM devices on temporary basis (am hoping to get my new insurance to cover it), the data and control possible is still a far, far cry from what the body can do on its own with working islet cells!

Posted by Tracey F. at 1/27/2010 11:09 AM
My son is 9 and was diagnosed type1 3 yrs ago.He has been on the minimed 722 pump for almost 2 yrs and the guardian cgms for a month now.I fought a very long,hard battle with his ins.co for the cgms and already see the pros and cons of the device, mostly the lagging times before the alarms actually alert a problem is happening.I have been following the progress of the AP,and am excited to see it function.I hope ins co's really look at the benefits and jump on board with AP coverage.I want my son and every type1 child(and adult)to live a long complication free life and believe the Artificial Pancreas is the first step in the right direction.I do have a question though...will there be additional medications that will have to be taken such as anti rejection,or steroids,etc.. if you choose to have the AP transplant?

Posted by Suzy at 1/27/2010 10:44 AM
My child has had DMI for 5 years and has been pumping for 4 years. We already have absorption issues due to scar tissue from the sites. It seems like wearing two sites would only make this issue worse. How is this a long-term solution to diabetes management? Is this issue being addressed?

Posted by Frederick W. at 1/27/2010 10:43 AM
What about "Symogies" (spelling may be off)?

Posted by Maureen at 1/27/2010 10:07 AM
I've had type I DM for 26 years. When I was pregnant, my insulin requirements went down(!) I know the regeneration researchers are exploring how the hormone prolactin helps beta cell proliferation. What kinds of research and discoveries are going on in this area?

Posted by Ralph at 1/27/2010 10:06 AM
In a recent book "Diabetes Rising", the author, Dan Hurley, writes about his concerns with the FDA and the artificial pancreas. He feels they are slowing down the progress of the device not allowing data from the monitor to go to the pump. What are your thoughts on his comments?

Posted by Kevin Maher at 1/27/2010 10:05 AM
Do you have an opinion on the current Islet cell transplantation work? As the transplants eventually fail (3-5 years or so), and pose risks associated with immunosuppessions, for whom would you recommend this treatment?

Posted by Ron Fleisher at 1/27/2010 10:04 AM
Hello Aaron.. I am excited about the artificial pancreas project, but nothing excites me more then the prospect of 'Smart Insulin' being reactive to Blg levels. Ron F San Antonio TX

Posted by Jill at 1/27/2010 10:02 AM
My son has T1 and has been diagnosed with gastro paresis. Lots of times his bg goes up little by little and then as much as 8 hours later it will spike. So, especially on nights where we have pizza for example, we will use and extended bolus over 3-4 hours and we still get lows early on and then suddenly an extreme high. What do you think that CGM or the artificial pancreas could do to help us?

Posted by Amy at 1/27/2010 9:11 AM
To AN Kirby...try licocaine(a numbing agent) before inserting the CGM. It has helped me 15 yr old...but I agree with you -it shouldn't be so painful. It has become a real chore to get my son to wear the sensor b/c of this

Posted by Larry at 1/27/2010 8:45 AM
My Grandson is now 17 but has been diabetic for 15 of those years. He's on the pump now. I watched a news program where they were able to grow new inner body parts from a person's own tissue samples, thus, the body would not reject it. Is this something that is being worked on for replacing the pancreas or is the external artificial pancreas the only way being considered as viable?

Posted by Laura at 1/27/2010 8:43 AM
I am very curious as to what you believe insurance will eventually be for an AP? I am 31 years old and have had Type 1 for 13 years, using a pump for about 10 years. I have never gotten CGMS due to the cost mostly not being covered by my insurance. I've had two successful pregnancies and am very healthy overall, but right now I'm frustrated with my control. It's hard to see this getting better when the best treatments are so costly and often not covered by insurance. Given the current climate of healthcare in this country, I realize this is a loaded question. But, it's certainly the most important to me. What good will this research accomplish if it isn't widely available? Thank you for continuing to make breakthroughs in research for all of us!

Posted by Kathy at 1/27/2010 8:21 AM
CGM, fingerstick reads, carb counting, and time-of-day pump parameters result in a huge amount of real-time data for diabetics. In the absence of a closed loop, Is there effort to develop data mining software to use this data to optimize treatment?

Posted by Agnes at 1/27/2010 8:02 AM
I have an 11 year old, diagnosed with T1 2.5 years ago. She wears a Cozmo pump and a Navigator CGM. I am very excited about the news, but have the following concerns, based on our experience with the technology so far: 1. When you suspend/reduce basal to deal with an impending low, the effects are not felt until 1-2 hours later. My guess is you would still go low, then high. Will there be faster acting insulin? 1. Current technology needs to be improved, especially that being used for this particular project (Animas/Dexcom), before it is merged into a new product. Pump needs more features, cgm needs to be more accurate with fewer calibrations. 2. How will these companies deal with intellectual property issues, considering Medtronics has already developed a quasi "closed-loop" system? Will we need to push a button to OK the pump shut-off because Medtronics has a patent on the auto shut-off? May seem far-fetched, but not considering MM litigation history. 3. I hope someone will concurrently work on software to download all useful data from this system to every computer platforms. And make the data "exportable" so we can analyze it when trying to convince the insurance co's to pay for the system. 4. Another team should work on how to best provide customer support for what will surely be a challenging product to troubleshoot. With all that said, we'll be the first in line!

Posted by JP at 1/27/2010 5:48 AM
When will the "true" artificial pancreas be made available? from what I understand the first model will only be a semi-automated in that it will cut off insulin say below BS of 70 and increase insulin @ say a BS of 180. The true benefit of this initiative will be when the CGM and pump work in sync thereby allowing the system to take over monitoring and providing the insulin the body needs. It seems very simply to me and cannot figure out why a model is not available yet, simply have the CGM tell in the pump when and how much insulin to provide based on the current BS value (in real time). Additonally I know in Europe Medtronic is using the Vue which is basically what I have outlined above (is stops insulin when BS below 70). Please comment on when you believe the true "closed loop" system will be in the market based on your expert opinion.

Posted by Jennifer at 1/27/2010 1:41 AM
I have been using an insulin pump for over a decade. Why can't a pump monitor your blood sugar as well? The continuous glucose monitor is just one more insertion and I agree with A.N. Kirby in that why can't we get glucose monitoring devices that don't hurt so much? And when will insulin pumps have a "brain" and not depend so much on patient interaction. When will there be a devise that can be inserted in the body and monitor blood glucose and deliver insulin on its own. Is that science fiction? Or do I just need to get an actual pancreas transplant? I am sorry that I seem disenchanted with all the valuable time and research involved in your project. I just hurt and hope for answers. I advocate for any kind of better management for those with diabetes. Thank you.

Posted by Donald Cannatella at 1/27/2010 1:19 AM
The Artificial Pancreas is a Great improvement over present day pumps, and CgMS systems. But when will the tecnology be usable for present applications??1Yr or 5Yrs??

Posted by Rita at 1/26/2010 8:30 PM
Our son is 9 yrs old. Type 1 for 4 yrs. If this project takes 3-4 yrs. which the article states, you have 3 million plus people (children/adult)waiting to get one. Where does the medical insurance companies come in to approve these for each and every Type 1 diabetic? What kind of cost are we looking at that will be billed to insurance or will insurance state that they do not cover the "Artificial Pancreas".It is wonderful that the research is being done, but in the end who will pay for this? If you can not afford it will you be left behind? I have worked medical insurance appeals/denials and in my mind no one should be denied. What is your thought? Thank you. My thoughts and prayers are with each and everyone involved in this NEW project. Blessings.

Posted by Rachel at 1/26/2010 6:28 PM
I have been a diabetic for 5 years now. I just had my anniversary on Sunday. Very curious about how I would be affected by the Artificial Pancreas Project? I have type 1 diabetes and autoimmune deficiency. My doctor said 4 years ago that I would not benefit from any of the research that is going on because my immune system would just kill it. I hope you can tell me that this will not be the case.

Posted by liz at 1/26/2010 6:15 PM
I am very excited about the promise of the artificial pancreas project. My question is - how is it safe to use the existing Dexcom CGM to allow the new artificial pancreas make insulin decisions? I have experience with the Dexcom CGM and I love it for gaining trend information and to be alerted when my blood sugar is drifting up or down - however if I always acted on the numbers it provided me, I would be in big trouble. I have had the Dexcom be accurate with blood glucose as compared to my meter within single digits. However I have also had it be off by 50-75 points or more as well. If Dexcom says I am at 150 and really I am at 75 and the the artificial pancreas gave me insulin, I could drop dangerously low. I understand we should always continue to use a meter to calibrate and double check - but how do we always double check an artificial pancreas making a decision on inaccurate information, on its own? Will tge artificial pancreas act on the results in CGM provides? Administering or halting insulin? I am concerned about this. Even my dexcom rep told me never to treat glucose based on the dexcom reading but rather to double check with a meter and to use the dexcom as additional information and a record of trends. Not as a replacement to the meter. Thanks!

Posted by Alex J. at 1/26/2010 5:52 PM
I have been a type 1 Diabetic for 25 years, since the age of 2. My question is WHEN??? We have been hearing about an artificial pancreas for yeeeeears now and the closest we have are continuous glucose monitors that do less than a stellar job. When can we expect a product first of all to close the loop on a system and second, provide accurate, helpful results 95% of the time?

Posted by Tracy at 1/26/2010 5:31 PM
The Artificial Pancreas Project seems so promising. Has it been approved the FDA?

Posted by Katie at 1/26/2010 2:30 PM
My son Gabriel was diagnosed with diabetes at 12 months, he is now 19 months, and were trying to get him set up on a pump. and we loved the fact of having the continuous monitor. But i am very unsure about really which pump to peruse. What would you suggest for such a young diabetic?

Posted by A.N. Kirby at 1/26/2010 10:23 AM
My granddaughter is 14 years old and was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at age 7. She has utilized the pump for insulin for several years and tried to move to the continuous monitor last year. The pain is too much for her. With the more advanced research, surely inserting a continuous monitoring site should not be so painful. Any suggestions.

Posted by Jan at 1/26/2010 10:09 AM
My niece has had D since the age of 8, is a Minimed pumper and has used Minimed's and now, Dexcom's cgms. I welcome more computeried input to help us with basal adjustments, like the idea of the pump discontinuing insulin administration for a few hours when very low, but I just read you are using EXISTING Dexcom technology in the AP project and you feel that it is "good enough." I beg to differ. Two readings in the 34 to 36 range (the first two in years) while trusting Dexcom sensor which read 126 and 88 respectively. Low alarms which I mistakenly trusted and treated with juice without testing only to wake at a very high number. How will you make the AP safe given these types of readings?

Posted by James Kempton at 1/25/2010 8:50 PM
I've been a Type 1 for 43 years. I haqv been using a pump with a glucose monitoring sensor added for the past 2 years. The weakness of this system for me is the lag time from the monitoring sensor back to the pump readout screen also cost.

Posted by Rosi at 1/25/2010 1:44 PM
There is so many types of db equipment (meters, pumps, etc). We want what is best for our children, family, and friends. Let's focus our moneys and skills to this. Let us make it accessible to all. This diabetes is truly out of hand. I am excited about the technology but do not let the price choose who can benefit from this. Any thoughts?

Posted by Beth at 1/21/2010 7:05 PM
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes one year ago at age 9. She is doing a great job taking 3-4 insulin shots a day but is getting lazy with taking her blood sugar. i have been following the Artifial pancreas Project online and am very excited for this to come. THANK YOU for doing all yuo can to help everyone with diabetes. With your efforts, you will make my daughters life a lot better.

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Posted by JDRF Advocacy on 1.21.10

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The Promise Campaign is a coordinated effort to schedule and complete as many meetings as possible between representatives and senators and their constituents in their local districts. In addition to building relationships with federal lawmakers, it allows JDRF to continue the momentum and messaging established through our Children's Congress event.
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