According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from Houston have delivered islet cells and immunotherapy directly into a 3D-printed device similar to a bioengineered pancreas, called the NICHE.

NICHE is a flat device that is placed under the skin. It consists of a cell reservoir for the islets and a surrounding drug reservoir for localized immunosuppression therapy. The lead author of the study called it the first platform to combine direct vascularization and local immunosuppression into a single, implantable device for allogeneic islet transplantation and long-term Type 1 diabetes management.

He revealed that the treatment with NICHE restored healthy glucose levels and eliminated Type 1 diabetes symptoms for more than 150 days. The team of researchers explained that the device contains ports for refilling the drug as needed. In the study, they refilled the drug reservoirs every 28 days, which was comparable to other long-acting drugs clinically available.

Additionally, he also revealed that after transplanting the device, there were no severe adverse effects of anti-rejection therapy, and immunosuppressive drugs were administered only after the transplanted islet cells were located. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/science/scientists-develop-device-that-has-potential-to-transform-islet-cell-transplantation/1287963/ )