Langerhans

 implant  

Alterna0ve  treatment  for  diabetes  

Poking  my  finger  hurts  so  much  
I  hate  to  test!  
I’m  embarrassed  to  take  my  insulin  in  public.  
This  last  winter  storm  
really  freaked  me  out  (not  
to  men?on  the  disaster  in  
Japan!)  I  was  snowed  in  
for  the  beBer  part  of  a  
week.  I  was  fine,  but  what  
if  I  had  run  out  of  insulin?  
My  insurance  company  
won’t  let  me  refill  any  of  
my  medica?ons  un?l  I’m  
nearly  out.  
Langerhans  implant  
Alterna0ve  treatment  for  diabetes  
Preven0ng  ongoing  pain,  worry  and    
Embarrassment  for  people  with  type    
1  diabetes.  
Gene0cally  manufactured  insulin  
THIS  IS  A  COLI  CELL  EXTRACTED  
FROM  THE  GUT  OF  A  HUMAN  IT  
PRODUCES  A  PROTEIN.  

SCIENTISTS  REMOVE  THE  DNA  

FROM  THE  COLI  CELL  AND  INSERT  
THE  ACTUAL  DNA  FROM  THE  
INSULIN  PRODUCING  GLAND  INTO  
THE  EMPTY  NUCLEUS.  

NOW  YOU  HAVE  A  CELL  WHICH  

HAS  A  “COMPUTER  PROGRAM”  
TELLING  IT  TO  PRODUCE  INSULIN  
INSTEAD  OF  PROTEIN.  

THIS  NEW  CELL  CAN  REPRODUCE  AND  PRODUCE  

MORE  INSULIN.    
BASIC  STRUCTURE  
GENETICALLY   PANCREAS  
PRODUCED  INSULIN  
CELL  

LARGE  
INTESTINE  

BLOOD  
GLUCOSE  
MONITOR  
INSULIN  CELLS  ARE  
GROWN  AND  
CONTAINED  IN  A  
SEPARATE  
COMPARTMENT  OF  
THE  IMPLANT.  

A  MONITOR  
CONSTANTLY  
MEASURES  THE  
BLOOD  GLUCOSE  
LEVEL  
WHEN  THE  MONITOR  
NOTICES  A  DROP  IN  INSULIN  
LEVELS…..  

…IT  TRIGGERS  A  
RESPONSE  IN  THE  
CELL  CONTAINIG  
STRUCTURE  WHICH  
RELEASES  INSULIN  
INTO  THE  
PANCREAS.  
Pancreas  and  Islet  
of  Langerhans-­‐  
possibility  for  
dispersal  of  insulin.  

Or  connec0ng  to  
the  duodenum  of  
the  small  intes0ne.  
WHEN  THE  INSULIN  IS  
NOT  NEEDED  AND  THE  
CELL  CONTAINING  
STRUCTURE  IS  TOO  
FULL  IT  RELEASES  THE  
UNWANTED  INSULIN  
INTO  THE  LARGE  
INTESTINE.  
Unwanted  insulin  disposed  of  
through  the  descending  
colon  of  the  large  intes0ne.  
This  way  the  body  does  not  
process  any  extra.  
The  result  of  the  Langerhans  implant  
is  that  people  with  diabetes  can  
have  their  insulin  monitored  and  
replenished  without  any  physical  
involvement    which  means  the  no  
longer  have  to  constantly  worry,  feel  
pain  or  be  embarrassed  by  current  
insulin  monitoring  and  replenishing  
methods.