Using AI to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes
Magdeburg University Medical Center is part of the new EU research project MELISSA. The aim of the international consortium is to provide a digital solution for the management of diabetes treated with insulin, enabling personalized treatment and care.
Diabetes is on the rise worldwide and is a major cause of disability and death. In Europe alone, 60 million people live with this complex disease. Improvements in treatment and care have been made in recent decades, but breakthroughs are needed to address future challenges. Launched in June, the MELISSA (Mobile Artificial Intelligence Solution for Diabetes Adapted Care) research project, a collaboration of 12 partners from seven countries, will set new directions in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions. MELISSA is coordinated by Maastricht University. The University Hospital for Renal and Hypertensive Diseases, Diabetology and Endocrinology at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is operating as one of four study centers that will conduct the clinical trial to validate the artificial intelligence-based mobile application - the heart of the project. The project is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe framework program for research and innovation and will receive 5.9 million euros over the next four years.
Photo: For diabetics, regular self-monitoring of blood glucose levels is essential, as the values can change in a very short time. © nito - stock.adobe.com
A growing number of diabetics require insulin therapy. Clinic director and diabetologist Prof. Peter Mertens, MD, explains: "This highly complex form of treatment has a major impact on the everyday lives of people with diabetes and requires considerable effort and commitment from them. The introduction of AI-based solutions for personalized treatment and care therefore promises to be a game changer." As a first step, the consortium will establish a digital platform for diabetes management for people with diabetes that integrates existing (pre)clinically validated AI-driven solutions under strict ethical guidelines. This will enable people with diabetes to improve their self-management and glycemic control and minimize the risk of short- and long-term diabetes-related complications. Once established, the platform will be validated in a clinical trial involving insulin-treated diabetics from Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands.
After appropriate planning and organization, patients with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes will be recruited for the clinical study at the study center in Magdeburg and cared for according to the study design and protocol. Prof. Mertens explains, "Patients will receive either treatment with the mobile app or their current therapy. The AI uses several smart technologies already established on the market and combines them in one mobile application, so that together with continuous glucose monitoring, a highly individualized therapy can be established. We will also use our clinical experience to incorporate the needs of patients and therapists into the project." The scientists hope that this will make the daily lives of those affected much easier, adapted to their habits. With the help of the technology, patients should be better supported in maintaining a normal blood glucose level in order to avoid both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
The consortium consists of academic, clinical and industrial partner institutions, complemented by a diabetes patient organization from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA. Further information on the study can be found at https://www.melissa-diabetes.eu/
Contact for interested patientsJuliane Peters, Universitätsklinik für Nieren- und Hochdruckkrankheiten, Diabetologie und Endokrinologie der Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Tel. 0391-67-13261,
Scientific Contact
Prof. Dr. med. Peter Mertens, Director of the University Clinic for Renal and Hypertensive Diseases, Diabetology and Endocrinology at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg,
Bastiaan de Galan, Coordination MELISSA, Universität Maastricht, Netherlands, Tel.: +31 (0) 43 38 77011