Towards Closed-Loop Neuromodulation for Type 2 Diabetes With Ex Vivo Validation of Beta-Cell Activity and FOPP...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes (T2D) management requires advanced monitoring and therapeutic strategies.
• Pancreatic electrophysiology offers a dual modality for sensing and therapeutic intervention.
• The fraction of plateau phase (FOPP) is identified as a key biomarker for glucose dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an implantable closed-loop neuromodulation prototype system for T2D management.
• To optimize a neural interface for accurate measurement of beta-cell electrical activity and FOPP.
• To assess the feasibility of electrical stimulation for beta-cell activation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a custom 16-channel neural interface for low-power electrophysiology measurement.
• Utilized a perfused pancreas model in mice and rats to capture glucose-dependent signals.
• Fabricated an 8-channel electrical stimulator with adjustable current and charge balancing.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated feasibility of extracting FOPP from ex vivo pancreatic tissue, though signal complexity varied.
• Confirmed the electrical stimulator's capability to meet physiological requirements for beta-cell activation.
• Established foundational experimental and technological evidence for closed-loop neuromodulation.

Conclusions:

• The presented prototype system demonstrates the potential of pancreatic electrophysiology for T2D management.
• Further integration with AI classifiers is needed for advanced FOPP-glucose correlation.
• This work lays the groundwork for next-generation closed-loop neuromodulatory devices.