The pioneering work on the treatment of diabetes carried out in the BME Department is featured prominently in the new Annual Report of the Whitaker Foundation that was published on April 20, 2004.
The pioneering work on the treatment of diabetes carried out in the BME Department is featured prominently in the new Annual Report of the Whitaker Foundation that was published on April 20, 2004. Entitled "Biomedical Engineering and the Fight Against Diabetes" this report summarizes the research findings of seven leading biomedical engineering centers that have been funded by Whitaker grants. The work of Prof. Nicholas A Peppas and his associates on the development of new oral insulin delivery systems for type 1 diabetic patients is presented in this issue. The new microparticulate and nanoparticulate systems are able to bypass the stomach and adhere to the upper small intestine where they release insulin. Local inhibitory effects on proteolytic enzymes and associated transcellular and paracellular transport mechanisms contribute to an improved insulin bioavailability.
