Mercury 502

As mentioned before in previous posts, our team is trying to fix a problem with the membrane potential of a pancreatic beta cell. We are doing this by inserting nanodevices that will replace the function of K-ATP channels. The complexity of the mechanisms that cause the cell to release insulin is staggering. After the initial depolarization of the cell initiated by the influx of glucose after a meal, the K-ATP channels and Ca+2 channels 'turn' on and off dozens of times in a matter of seconds, causing rhythmic oscillations of cell potential. We couldn't devise a practical means for our nanodevice to replicate this biological phenomena, so we have decided to limit our device for implantation only into people with NIDDM (type 2 diabetes). This limits us to only around 16 million people in the US, which is not much of a limitation. If treated early enough, people with type 2 diabetes still have enough K-ATP channels to secrete insulin, but not enough channels to maintain the resting cell potential. If the cell can't get to the resting potential, the cell ulimately wears out, and then the body can't produce insulin (uh-oh). This device won't be a magic cure for diabetes sufferers. These nanomachines will however, buy the patient more time to get sugar intake under control by allowing for more normal pancreatic function. Ideally, these devices would be a one-time treatment that facillitate a patients' recovery from diabetes. NIDDM is a treatable and avoidable disease. We think our our device has huge potential to help the US as a whole. Diabetes cost the US $132 billion dollars in 2002. $92 billion of this was direct medical costs, and the other $40 billion was from disability payments and lost job time. These costs are projected to grow in the next few years and will be a major drain on our medical system.