DDW: Endoscopic Procedure May Eliminate Insulin Use in T2DM

TUESDAY, May 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Recellularization via electroporation therapy (ReCET) combined with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) treatment is safe and feasible for type 2 diabetes and can eliminate the use of insulin therapy, according to a study presented at the 2023 Digestive Disease Week, held from May 6 to 9 in Chicago.

Jacques Bergman, M.D., Ph.D., from the Amsterdam University Medical Center, and colleagues examined the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the ReCET procedure, which uses electroporation to elicit cell apoptosis and renewal while preserving tissue structure. The procedure was performed in 14 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 28 to 75 years. All patients underwent the procedure under deep sedation, followed by a two-week isocaloric liquid diet. The GLP1-RA semaglutide was started thereafter and titrated up to 1 mg/week.

The researchers found that the technical success rate was 100 percent for ReCET, with a median axial treatment length of 12 cm. The maximum dosage of semaglutide was tolerated by 93 percent of patients. There were no device-related serious adverse events reported. One patient experienced a hypoglycemic event, but there was no need for third-party assistance. Twelve patients (86 percent) were off insulin at six months, with significant improvement seen in glycemic control and metabolic parameters; improvement was also seen in treatment satisfaction.

"While drug therapy is 'disease-controlling,' it only reduces high blood sugar as long as the patient continues taking the medication," Bergman said in a statement. "This one procedure is 'disease-modifying' in that it reverses the body's resistance to its own insulin, the root cause of the type 2 diabetes."

The study was funded by Endogenex, which owns the technology used for the endoscopic procedure. Bergman serves on the advisory board of Endogenex.

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