| Followers | 2543 |
| Posts | 250731 |
| Boards Moderated | 34 |
| Alias Born | 05/06/2014 |
Thursday, July 30, 2015 7:11:28 PM
$PMCB This Biotech Company Could Redefine the Meaning of "Artificial Pancreas" (PMCB)
It may be a few years down the road, but Pharmacyte Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:PMCB) is working on what could be the biggest diabetes treatment breakthrough seen since the introduction of insulin.
Last week, French organization Leti - under the umbrella of the nation's research-and-technology organization CEA - and French biotechnology developer Diabeloop announced they would be partnering in an effort to develop an artificial pancreas that could be used to treat those afflicted with Type 1 diabetes. It's a novel idea to be sure, aiming at a market that's in desperate need of a new breakthrough. In many ways, though, the decision to develop a mechanical pancreas only underscores the need and potential for the work a company called PharmaCyte Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:PMCB) is doing.
The artificial pancreas Diabeloop and Leti are co-developing will consist of a glucose sensor, an insulin pump, and a smartphone that will not only control the other two pieces, but will factor in other relevant details about the diabetic's activity levels and food intake to learn how to anticipate the patient's insulin needs.
For many diabetics who struggle to manage their condition, such a self-containing, hands-off system would be welcome with open arms. On the other hand, calling the device an artificial pancreas may be overstepping the acceptable usage of the phrase. The automation and anticipation Leti/Diabeloop have developed is more of an inevitable improvement on (albeit a big one) existing insulin pumps and glucose monitors. PharmaCyte Biotech may well redefine the term "artificial pancreas" with the development its diabetes therapy.
The biotechnology at the heart of PharmaCyte's solution is called Cell-in-a-Box(r).
Pharmacyte Biotech developed Cell-in-a-Box as a way of depositing encapsulated, living, normally-functioning cells into a particular part of the body so their presence could drive a therapeutic benefit.
It's as much of a process as it is a molecular structure.
The first step in their creation is a mix of live cells that ultimately spur or even become the therapy and a proprietary polymer that is then dropped into another proprietary polymer. The two polymers react to form a solid object about the size of the head of the pin, with the still-living cells beneath the shell of the tiny sphere. Though only a few millimeters across, the number of living cells inside the tiny bead-sized capsule can be in the thousands.
As for how the technology could be used to treat type 1 diabetes , the encapsulated cells are insulin-producing Melligen cells. Just like a diabetic's own islet cells would recognize the presence of glucose and start producing insulin, the cells inside the PharmaCyte capsule are able to sense high levels of glucose and respond by producing an appropriate amount of insulin. A handful of these pinhead-sized capsules containing Melligen cells can replace the insulin-producing function of the pancreas from some other site in the body.
The real breakthrough, though, is the encapsulation polymer itself.
The shell of the pinhead-sized capsule keeps the cells inside, yet lets insulin out, while allowing nutrients in, and waste out. Most important though, the shell keeps the body's own immune system from killing these cells.... something most previous encapsulation approaches didn't do. All too often in the past, person's immune system would see foreign cells as a threat, attacking and eventual killing those cells.
There's still work to be done. Cell-in-a-Box as a treatment pathway for type 1 diabetes is currently in the preclinical testing phase, although it was recently determined to be safe as a means of treating type 1 diabetes by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Based on the results witnesses in the preliminary studies at the university, the company aims to move forward with plans that will ultimately result in human trials. In that the approach actually restores a body's insulin-producing capability though, the implantation of encapsulated Melligen cells truly and accurately could be described as an artificial pancreas.
It may be a few years down the road, but Pharmacyte Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:PMCB) is working on what could be the biggest diabetes treatment breakthrough seen since the introduction of insulin.
Last week, French organization Leti - under the umbrella of the nation's research-and-technology organization CEA - and French biotechnology developer Diabeloop announced they would be partnering in an effort to develop an artificial pancreas that could be used to treat those afflicted with Type 1 diabetes. It's a novel idea to be sure, aiming at a market that's in desperate need of a new breakthrough. In many ways, though, the decision to develop a mechanical pancreas only underscores the need and potential for the work a company called PharmaCyte Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:PMCB) is doing.
The artificial pancreas Diabeloop and Leti are co-developing will consist of a glucose sensor, an insulin pump, and a smartphone that will not only control the other two pieces, but will factor in other relevant details about the diabetic's activity levels and food intake to learn how to anticipate the patient's insulin needs.
For many diabetics who struggle to manage their condition, such a self-containing, hands-off system would be welcome with open arms. On the other hand, calling the device an artificial pancreas may be overstepping the acceptable usage of the phrase. The automation and anticipation Leti/Diabeloop have developed is more of an inevitable improvement on (albeit a big one) existing insulin pumps and glucose monitors. PharmaCyte Biotech may well redefine the term "artificial pancreas" with the development its diabetes therapy.
The biotechnology at the heart of PharmaCyte's solution is called Cell-in-a-Box(r).
Pharmacyte Biotech developed Cell-in-a-Box as a way of depositing encapsulated, living, normally-functioning cells into a particular part of the body so their presence could drive a therapeutic benefit.
It's as much of a process as it is a molecular structure.
The first step in their creation is a mix of live cells that ultimately spur or even become the therapy and a proprietary polymer that is then dropped into another proprietary polymer. The two polymers react to form a solid object about the size of the head of the pin, with the still-living cells beneath the shell of the tiny sphere. Though only a few millimeters across, the number of living cells inside the tiny bead-sized capsule can be in the thousands.
As for how the technology could be used to treat type 1 diabetes , the encapsulated cells are insulin-producing Melligen cells. Just like a diabetic's own islet cells would recognize the presence of glucose and start producing insulin, the cells inside the PharmaCyte capsule are able to sense high levels of glucose and respond by producing an appropriate amount of insulin. A handful of these pinhead-sized capsules containing Melligen cells can replace the insulin-producing function of the pancreas from some other site in the body.
The real breakthrough, though, is the encapsulation polymer itself.
The shell of the pinhead-sized capsule keeps the cells inside, yet lets insulin out, while allowing nutrients in, and waste out. Most important though, the shell keeps the body's own immune system from killing these cells.... something most previous encapsulation approaches didn't do. All too often in the past, person's immune system would see foreign cells as a threat, attacking and eventual killing those cells.
There's still work to be done. Cell-in-a-Box as a treatment pathway for type 1 diabetes is currently in the preclinical testing phase, although it was recently determined to be safe as a means of treating type 1 diabetes by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Based on the results witnesses in the preliminary studies at the university, the company aims to move forward with plans that will ultimately result in human trials. In that the approach actually restores a body's insulin-producing capability though, the implantation of encapsulated Melligen cells truly and accurately could be described as an artificial pancreas.
Join the InvestorsHub Community
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
