What is Dia-Beatable?
          Type 1 Diabetes, or Diabetes Mellitus occurs early in an individual's life. Current research suggests, the cause of Type 1 Diabetes to be an autoimmune reaction by genetic and/or environmental factors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). People affected by the disease cannot sufficiently produce insulin, causing excessive glucose to accumulate in the bloodstream. If left untreated, severe health consequences and long-term complications can emerge such as increased urination, drowsiness, fatigue, etc. Without proper treatment, Type 1 Diabetes is fatal (Mayo Clinic, 2022). 

          Current treatments for Type 1 Diabetes include regular insulin injections about 3 to 5 times a day (Rajkumar, 2020). Furthermore, there are pancreas transplants and islet cell transplants that help the body temporarily produce proper insulin levels again (transplant Surgery - Islet Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes, n.d.; Peyser et al., 2014). However, insulin injections are expensive and time-consuming for the user. In the USA in particular, a single vial of insulin can cost $332 (Rajkumar, 2020). Pancreas transplants are also expensive (Peyser et al., 2014). While islet cell transplants can only be used by individuals with extreme cases of Type 1 Diabetes. Furthermore, both pancreas and islet cell transplants require the immune system to be weakened, which leaves the body vulnerable to extreme sickness (Transplant Surgery - Islet Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes, n.d.).
          
          Our proposed project, Dia-beatable, is a new treatment for Type 1 Diabetes that utilizes self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA). The project's self-replicating nature will allow for fewer injections over longer periods of time, and it is projected that patients will inject themselves with Dia-beatable every few weeks rather than multiple insulin injections daily. Once in the bloodstream, Dia-beatable replicates itself while producing insulin. To stop the treatment from overamplifying, we have incorporated an insulin-binding RNA aptamer as a control mechanism. This creates a negative feedback loop where the RNA aptamer acts as a switch that terminates the amplifying process when insulin levels are high. With our proposed treatment, we hope to minimize the strenuous maintenance process required with dealing with Type 1 Diabetes and increasing their standard of life. Furthermore, the cost of Dia-beatable would be based on the costs of the Covid-19 RNA vaccine, which is $1.18 - 2.25 (Light et al., 2021). Thus, a much cheaper treatment than other current treatments. Moving forward, we are investigating the utility of this type of treatment in pets as well as humans. The overall goal of Dia-Beatable is to provide those with Type 1 Diabetes with an easier and more comfortable lifestyle. 

 

References
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, March 11). What is type 1 diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/what-is-type-1-diabetes.html

[2] Type 1 diabetes. (2022, July 7). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011

[3] Rajkumar, V. S. (2020). The High Cost of Insulin in the United States: An Urgent Call to Action. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.11.013

[4] Transplant Surgery - Islet Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://transplantsurgery.ucsf.edu/conditions--procedures/islet-transplant-for-type-1-diabetes.aspx

[5] Peyser, T., Dassau, E., Breton, M., & Skyler, J. S. (2014, April). The artificial pancreas: current status and future prospects in the management of diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1311(1), 102-123. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nyas.12431

[6] Light, D. W., & Lexchin, J. (2021, November). The costs of coronavirus vaccines and their pricing. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 114(11), 502-504. https://doi.org/10.1177/01410768211053006