#31 - 🎯 Omnipod 5 gets a 100 target

Hey readers! 👋 This week's roundup is packed with tech updates that might actually change your daily routine, from Omnipod's algorithm getting a serious upgrade to MIT researchers working on a glucose monitor that doesn't require anything under your skin. Let's dive into what matters most for managing T1D right now.

Goodbye, finger pricks? Diabetes patients could monitor glucose with lightwaves — MIT researchers have built a Raman spectroscopy device that measures blood glucose by shining near-infrared light on skin, no needles required. – Popular Science

The current prototype is about the size of a shoebox, but the team has already shrunk subsequent versions to cellphone dimensions. In preliminary testing, readings matched commercial CGMs over a four-hour period. "Nobody wants to prick their finger every day, multiple times a day," said MIT research scientist Jeon Woong Kang. A wearable version is headed for clinical trials next year. Worth watching, though we're still years away from something you could actually wear.

Insulet Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance of Omnipod 5 Algorithm Enhancements — The FDA has cleared significant upgrades to Omnipod 5, including a new 100 mg/dL target glucose setting and algorithm refinements that keep users in Automated Mode longer. – Biospace

This is the update many Omnipod users have been requesting. The new target range now spans six options from 100-150 mg/dL in 10 mg/dL increments. Real-world data shows the lower target improves time in range by roughly 12% without increasing hypoglycemia. The smoother algorithm means fewer interruptions during high-glucose events. Expect the update in the first half of 2026.

Medtronic launches insulin delivery system with Abbott-made sensor — Medtronic's MiniMed 780G is now available paired with Abbott's Instinct sensor, marking the first time Medtronic has integrated an external sensor into its system. – MedTech Dive

The Instinct sensor offers 15-day wear time, longer than any of Medtronic's current CGMs. This partnership became possible after FDA approval of Medtronic's algorithm as an interoperable automated glycemic controller. Medtronic is also developing a smaller MiniMed Flex pump that will work with the same sensor.

New Stem Cell Approach Paves Way for Type 1 Diabetes Cure — A preclinical study demonstrates that a chemotherapy-free conditioning regimen can induce durable mixed haematopoietic chimerism in NOD mice, preventing and reversing T1D without ongoing immunosuppression. – EMJ Reviews

The protocol combines anti-c-Kit antibody, T-cell depletion, JAK1/2 inhibition, and low-dose total body irradiation. In diabetic mice, the regimen corrected hyperglycemia durably with no graft-versus-host disease. These findings suggest safer transplantation-based strategies for restoring immune tolerance may eventually be viable for humans.

Dermal Glucose Sensing has a Shorter Time Lag Relative to Blood Glucose — A clinical study found that dermal CGM sensors achieve a time lag of just 0-2 minutes, compared to the -10 to +10 minute lag seen in subcutaneous CGMs. – PubMed

The study compared a novel dermal sensor called Laxmi against Abbott Libre 3 and Dexcom G7 in 55 T1D patients. Simulations showed that shorter lag improves time-in-range and could enable lower glucose targets without increasing hypoglycemia risk. This could be significant for automated insulin delivery systems.

Variation in Hypoglycemia Risk During Real-World Physical Activity — Analysis of 8,171 exercise sessions found that hypoglycemia risk rises with longer duration, lower pre-exercise glucose, and higher insulin on board. – Type 1 Diabetes Exercise Initiative

Aerobic activities produced the greatest glucose reductions. Closed-loop users exhibited lower hypoglycemia risk compared to open-loop users. The data underscore the need for personalized strategies, not one-size-fits-all exercise recommendations.

2025 Top T1D advances: Full speed ahead — Breakthrough T1D's year-end summary highlights cell therapy milestones, disease-modifying agents, and Civica's $55 insulin glargine launching January 1, 2026. – Sandy Vogt, Ph.D.

Notable mentions include Sana Biotechnology's gene-edited islets producing insulin without immunosuppression, baricitinib trials for delaying disease onset, and finerenone showing kidney-protective effects in T1D patients.

Immunosuppressants in T1D Research: Expert Opinions — Pharmacist Diana Isaacs explains how immunosuppressants work in islet cell research, their side effects, and efforts to eliminate their use through cell encapsulation. – T1D Exchange

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