For millions of people living with diabetes, continuous glucose monitors provide a real-time picture of glucose levels, helping users manage medication, diet and day-to-day activities. But despite their benefits, the devices remain out of reach for some patients due to cost.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have taken a step toward addressing that challenge by identifying a lower-cost component for an experimental injectable glucose sensor. In a study published in ACS Measurement Science Au, the team demonstrated that a sensing material costing roughly one-tenth as much as a commonly used alternative delivered similar performance.
Lower cost without sacrificing performance
The work centers on a nonenzymatic glucose-sensing platform that uses fluorescent molecules to measure glucose concentrations. Unlike many glucose-monitoring systems that rely on enzymes, the Texas A&M approach uses near-infrared fluorescence, allowing researchers to track changes in glucose levels through changes in light signals.
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The sensing system works through competitive binding: As glucose concentrations increase, glucose molecules compete with a fluorescent sugar compound for available binding sites on a protein known as concanavalin A, or ConA. That interaction changes the fluorescent signal, allowing glucose levels to be measured without the use of enzymes.
The researchers compared several glucose-binding compounds and found that β-mannopentaose, a significantly less expensive material than the α-mannopentaose compound used in earlier versions of the technology, provided comparable sensing performance. The lower-cost material also performed well in artificial interstitial fluid, a solution designed to mimic the environment beneath the skin.
"The surprising part was how closely the lower-cost material matched the performance of the more expensive alternative," said Dr. Sayantan Tripathy, assistant research scientist in Texas A&M’s Optical and Bio-Sensing Laboratory and the study’s lead author. "In this case, the cheaper option wasn’t really a compromise, and that’s an important finding when you’re thinking about future glucose-monitoring technologies."
"Developing an affordable glucose sensor means considering the cost of the individual materials as well as how well they work together," said Dr. Gérard L. Coté, principal investigator of the study and a professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. "This study shows that we can substantially reduce the cost of one sensing component while maintaining comparable performance, giving us a promising foundation for further development."
Building an implantable glucose sensor
The researchers incorporated the sensing chemistry into a small hydrogel that can be injected into the tissue and is designed to sit beneath the skin. The gel acts as a stable home for the sensing materials while allowing glucose to pass through and be measured.
In testing, the hydrogel retained more than 94% of the sensing assay over seven days, demonstrating that the lower-cost sensing chemistry can function within an injectable platform.
"When new medical technologies are expensive, access can be limited," said Dr. Melissa Grunlan, study co-author, professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering and professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Our goal is to develop sensors that are not only effective but affordable for the people who rely on them."
The researchers emphasize that the technology remains at the proof-of-concept stage and will require additional development and testing before it could be considered for clinical use. Still, the results suggest it may be possible to lower costs without sacrificing performance.
What’s next for the technology
Beyond demonstrating the viability of a lower-cost sensing component, the findings highlight the importance of considering affordability alongside technical performance. Improvements that reduce manufacturing costs could ultimately play an important role in expanding access to future diabetes-monitoring technologies, including for patients who face barriers to obtaining advanced glucose-monitoring tools.
The team plans to continue refining the sensing platform and evaluating additional components that may improve performance, longevity and practicality. "While the work remains in the research stage, the findings suggest that future glucose-monitoring technologies may not have to rely on expensive materials to deliver effective results," Tripathy said.
"Our long-term goal is to develop a reliable, affordable injectable glucose sensor that can expand access to continuous glucose monitoring, particularly for people in under-resourced communities and those without adequate insurance coverage," Coté said. "Reducing the cost of the sensing materials is one step toward making these technologies accessible to more people who need them."
In addition to Tripathy, Coté and Grunlan, the team comprised fully of A&M researchers included Dr. Carolina Martinez, Anthony Dongchau and Samyucktha Ganesapandian. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Under-resourced Populations.
