Managing diabetes with nanomedicine: challenges and opportunities

Nanotechnology holds significant potential for improving the care of diabetes patients.Nanoparticles are being developed as contrast agents to assist with the early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and several formulations have been successfully tested in pilot human clinical studies.Nanotechnology tools are being used to generate implantable continuous glucose monitoring sensors (CGMS) that enable more accurate and patient-friendly real-time tracking of blood glucose levels.To improve the efficacy of insulin therapy, glucose responsive nanoparticles are being developed to better mimic the physiological needs of the body for insulin.Nanotechnology is being used to help engineer more effective vaccines for type 1 diabetes in the hope of producing a cure.This Review provides an analysis of the current state of nanotechnology-based approaches to improve the care of diabetes.