Artificial pancreases were a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes. The research in type 2 is just beginning

For the first time, a team of researchers has published research into how a closed-loop insulin delivery system might help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their disease at home.

The study, described in a new paper published Wednesday in Nature Medicine, included 26 patients who tested out a so-called artificial pancreas, which works by pairing a glucose sensor with an insulin pump to automatically adjust doses of the drug. The system improved the time participants spent in their target glucose range by about 15%; its users also managed to avoid bouts of severe low glucose while reducing overall glucose levels.