The ARG algorithm: clinical trials in Argentina

COLMEGNA, P.; GARELLI, F.; DE BATTISTA, H.; BIANCHI, F.; SÁNCHEZ PEÑA, R.

The Artificial Pancreas: Current Situation and Future Directions

Academic Press (Elsevier)

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019; p. 79 - 104

Diabetes is a problem that is affecting millions of patients around the world andis projected to keep increasing in the upcoming years. Although the notion of anArtificial Pancreas (AP) was conceptualized about 60 years ago when ProfessorE.P. McCullaguh from Cleveland Clinic demonstrated the possibility of creating animplantable endocrine pancreas, it was not until 2006 when the Juvenile DiabetesResearch Foundation (JDRF) formally introduced the AP project and outlined a clearroad map that AP has been a true possibility.The last two decades have seen an important set of scientific and technologicalresearch advances. Today several multidisciplinary research groups led by physiciansand engineers, mainly in the United States and Europe, but also with groups in Israel,Australia, and Latin America, have reported quality results that have led to creativesolutions and options to provide better treatment for patients with diabetes.This book outlines the current activities and developments in the discipline of APand describes the results of research of these multidisciplinary teams. Our intentionin this publication is to present different views and approaches that have been takenand, particularly, to maintain a balance between the engineering and medical aspectsof the Artificial Pancreas project.For that reason, it has been crucial for the editors in the selection of the chaptersto present, not only the results obtained in silico, simulated results, but also therich experience and knowledge gained by performing clinical trials. The latter havebeen covered in groups of all ages: children, adolescents, and adults. In this book awide regional experience is presented by discussing both, simulated and clinical trialsperformed in France, Italy, Spain, different centers in the United States of America(California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Virginia), and in Argentina.We expectthis book to be a reference for engineers and physicians that want to gain knowledgein the current and future state of research and development of an Artificial Pancreas.Both editors would like to thank Dr. Edgar N. Sánchez for proposing this idea andthe Elsevier group lead by Chris Katsaropoulos, Anna Valutkevich, and Ana ClaudiaAbad García, who guided us through the whole procedure. A special mention toall the authors that have contributed to this book making it an excellent example ofworldwide collaboration. Thanks to all the patients and families that had participatedin an immense amount of clinical trials voluntarily and with the only goal to helpdiscover and advance the best treatment option for diabetes while awaiting cure.Finally, we are eternally thankful to our families for their constant support, patience,and encouragement.