Scientists invent implant that turns blood sugar into gluconate to treat type 2 diabetes

Researchers at ETH Zurich built an inch-long implant that converts excess blood glucose into gluconate via an electrically driven reaction, powered and controlled wirelessly by a smartphone. In mice with diabetes and obesity it stabilized blood sugar and cut body weight by about 10% over six weeks. The work was published in Science on Oct. 22.

• The implant converts glucose to gluconate on a gold-platinum nanoparticle electrode
• It is powered and controlled wirelessly from an ordinary smartphone
• Mice lost an average of 10% of body weight over six weeks
• Next steps are larger animals and eventually human trials