Biomaterial-mediated strategies for accurate and convenient diagnosis, and effective treatment of diabetes: advantages, current progress and future perspectives

Abstract

As a kind of widespread chronic disease, diabetes potentially triggers serious complications, thereby severely threatening patients’ life and health. To achieve the goal of more accurate and convenient diagnosis, and effective treatment of diabetes that what could be achieved based on traditional methods, many biomaterial-mediated strategies have been launched in recent studies, and have shown promising application potentials. In this review, we have systematically summarized the biomaterial-mediated diagnosis strategies in three parts including combined use of biomedical nanomaterials or organometallic compounds and Raman spectroscopy, utilization of gas sensors made of biomedical metal-oxides to detect glucose in exhaled gas, and detection of glucose by wearable sensors made of biomaterials with high sensitivity and conductivity, and the biomaterial-mediated treatment strategies in four parts including antidiabetic drug delivery by nanoparticles, transdermal drug delivery systems, gels and vesicles, and achieving insulin secretion by transplantation of pancreatic endocrine cells or tissue engineered islets. In particular, advantages of every strategy, current research progress, as well as the challenges and perspectives are elaborated. This review will certainly help to spark new ideas and possibilities for accurate and convenient diagnosis, and effective treatment of diabetes.