Research Update—Closed Loop/Artificial Pancreas

Abstract

Creation of a working closed loop/artificial pancreas (CL/AP) system is one of the holy grails of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). In essence, this would be a mechanical cure for a potentially devastating chronic disease. While the CL/AP still has its limitations, the results of recent research studies are encouraging. The CL/AP system also has the attention and support of organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which is a large charitable organization dedicated to funding T1DM research. The JDRF has created a six-step pathway which ends in a fully automated CL/AP system, and the FDA has created a helpful guide with recommendations and instructions for those interested in developing a CL/AP. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the components of the CL/AP system, describe its limitations, and review recent CL/AP research studies and future directions.