I spoke with journalist and cure expert Ginger Vieira to unpack major developments including stem-cell therapies, donor islet cell transplants, and the growing debate around the Islet Cell Act currently stalled in U.S. Congress. We examine why promising results from trials like Eledon's still face challenges around safety, scalability, and immunosuppression despite exciting early outcomes and break down the latest breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes cure research, exploring new clinical trials that are bringing some patients closer to insulin independence.

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The Diabetes Nerd Network

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

I sit down with Hanne Engan to discuss her experience being detained by ICE during what was supposed to be a routine U.S. green card interview. We unpack how immigration enforcement policies intersected with a life-threatening medical crisis when Hana—who has type 1 diabetes—was denied critical insulin and medical care inside an immigration detention center. Through her firsthand account, we explore the realities of visa overstays, ICE detention practices, and the human impact of immigration policy in the U.S. This powerful conversation sheds light on medical neglect in detention facilities and raises urgent questions about immigrant rights, healthcare access, and accountability.

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Sources: The Lever | Austin Kocher | Washington Post

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

Gary and I break down why insulin doesn’t always work the way we expect—whether it’s absorption issues, site problems, heat exposure, stress, hormones, illness, or exercise. We talk about how automated insulin delivery systems are only as good as the insulin actually getting into your body, and why fixing efficacy often matters more than changing your settings. Gary shares practical strategies for improving absorption, rotating sites effectively, and troubleshooting those “stubborn” highs that won’t come down. We also cover how things like scar tissue, steroid medications, and daily stress can quietly impact insulin sensitivity. If you’ve ever wondered why your numbers feel unpredictable, this episode will help you identify what to adjust before blaming your pump or algorithm.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

I speak with the first patient in a groundbreaking type 1 diabetes cure research trial using encapsulated neonatal pig islet cells—without immunosuppression. Six months after his transplant through the OPF-310 study led by Otsuka Pharmaceutical and University of Illinois Chicago, Michael Revland's insulin needs have been cut in half as the cells have begun maturing and producing insulin. We dive into how this porcine islet cell transplant works, why it differs from stem cell and donor islet trials, and the risks and rewards of pursuing insulin independence. He also shares why he declined an immunosuppression-based transplant study and the emotional highs and lows of being patient number one.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

I’m joined by Naomi Schwartz, former FDA diabetes reviewer and VP of regulatory strategy at Medcrypt, who shares firsthand insight into how device classifications, De Novo pathways, and FDA warning letters work. We break down why the FDA can feel like a barrier to innovation, how DIY diabetes tech and cybersecurity risks are evaluated, and the difference between wellness devices and regulated medical devices. We examine recent workforce disruptions from DOGE and political pressure—and what all of this means for the future of med tech innovation and patient safety.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

I speak with Portal Diabetes about how its next-generation implantable pump could bring this technology back—smaller, smarter, and potentially fully closed loop using CGM data. Because insulin is delivered into the intraperitoneal cavity, it acts far faster and clears the body quicker than subcutaneous insulin, which could mean fewer highs and lows and far more spontaneity. I ask them how the pump works, what the surgery and refills look like, and what real users have shared about living with an implantable pump. We even do a live demo—so if you want to see it in action, check out the video on YouTube or clips on my social channels.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

Gary and I take on one of the most important skills in modern diabetes management: understanding and using your data. We break down how to analyze CGM and pump data to identify patterns, trends, and problem areas without getting overwhelmed by numbers. The conversation covers basal insulin, bolus timing, insulin to carb ratios, correction factors, and what metrics like time in range and glucose variability actually tell you about your settings. We also discuss when to make adjustments on your own and when to involve a diabetes educator.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

Using biometrics like heart rate, stress, and activity to automate insulin delivery in real time, Rheos is a next-generation AID system designed to learn and adapt directly from the body. I sit down with Jonathan Fitch, Founder of GlucoSense, to explore how this settings-free, AI-powered AID system uses wearable data to continuously adapt insulin needs throughout the day. We get into features like logging meals by photo or voice, planning workouts through an in-app LLM, and how the system dynamically adjusts dosing based on real physiological signals. Jonathan also shares how a life-threatening seizure during college pushed him to rethink diabetes automation—and how that experience shaped Rheos’ goal of dramatically reducing the daily management burden.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.

Insulin pump access in the U.S. is changing fast, with more companies moving to pharmacy benefits and making it easier than ever for people with diabetes to start—or switch—systems. While this shift brings more choice and flexibility, it’s also exposing serious challenges around safety, training, and continuity of care. As AID systems become more complex and less interchangeable, switching pumps isn’t as simple as transferring settings anymore. In this episode, Diana Isaacs, PharmD, CDCES joins me to break down what’s really happening as pump transitions become more frequent and why both users and healthcare providers are feeling the strain. We talk about why confusion is increasing, where transitions often go wrong, and what needs to change to make pump switching safer and more effective for everyone.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

Co-host Gary Scheiner, CDCES, and I break down basal insulin and why it is the foundation of insulin therapy. We explain what basal insulin does, how it controls liver glucose between meals and overnight, and why incorrect settings can cause constant highs and lows even with advanced diabetes tech. We also cover common basal insulin mistakes, how pumps and automated insulin delivery systems handle basal differently, and answer listener questions about what your data can tell you when basal is off.

Learn about Omnipod 5 (today's sponsor)*

Learn About Integrated Diabetes (Gary’s Practice)

Send in YOUR questions!

Join the Diabetech Newsletter

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not medical advice and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your health care. 

*10-day trial eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions apply. Visit omnipod.com/diabetech for clinical disclaimers, terms and important safety information. The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof.