Recruitment begins for Oxford study testing an artificial pancreas in children with type 1 diabetes

Oxford researchers are recruiting for a study to make life easier for children who are newly-diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
A team from the John Radcliffe Hospital has launched the Closed Loop from Onset in Type 1 Diabetes (CLOuD) study, which will test the effectiveness and safety of an artificial pancreas.
The selected children will use an insulin pump connected via Bluetooth to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and a mobile phone app.
This artificial pancreas works via the app, which adjusts the amount of insulin that the body needs. The insulin is therefore delivered by the pump in response to blood glucose levels.
The aim of the study is to see if the artificial pancreas works effectively in young people, potentially as a means of one day replacing insulin injections.
Dr Rachel Besser, who is leading trial at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We hope that this technology will control blood sugars better and preserve the function of the pancreas in children with type 1 diabetes.
“If the function of the pancreas can be preserved, it makes living with diabetes that much easier; there will be less swings in blood sugar levels; less lows, and less highs after eating. In the longer-term that should reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications, such as eye disease, kidney disease and early death from heart disease.”
The research team are inviting children aged between 10-17 to sign up for the study, which is open until 2019. More information on the study can be found here.
Earlier this year, US researchers reported positive results from an artificial pancreas trial which led to improved blood glucose levels and fewer episodes of hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes.