Stem cells may help improve implantable glucose monitors

Ulrike Klueh is studying the use of adult stem cells to help make the use of long-term implantable wireless glucose sensors a reality, with a $413,000 grant from the American Diabetes Association.

The sensors already exist, but need to be improved, because they tend to stop working fairly quickly.

“A long-term, implantable glucose sensor has remained elusive, because of the rapid loss of sensor function after implantation,” says Klueh, who was a nurse in her native Germany and came to the Storrs campus to pursue a master’s degree in chemical engineering.

She went on to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering.

“I like the interdisciplinary focus and the interrelationship of technology, engineering, chemistry, and biological processes,” says Klueh, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery.

“We believe the loss of sensor function is a result of sensor-induced tissue reactions, including inflammation and fibrosis, which ultimately causes the loss of blood vessels at the site of the sensor,” she adds.

The body reacts to current implantable sensors inserted into the skin the same way it would react to a wood or metal splinter, mainly with inflammation, loss of blood vessels, and fibrosis.

With the grant, Klueh is focusing on new ways to suppress inflammation and fibrosis and promote new blood vessel formation around the sensor, using adult human blood derived stem cells.