Fig. 2
From: Genetic circuits to engineer tissues with alternative functions
Engineering synthetic tissues for employing personalized medicine. Engineering synthetic fat tissue for regulating blood glucose levels in diabetic patients will likely be a reality in the near future. In this hypothetical therapy, adipose cells are programmed with a genetic circuits capable of sensing glucose levels and, if pre-programmed physiologically high levels of glucose are sensed, they will respond by secreting a tightly regulated amount of insulin. These small synthetic tissues can be implanted under the skin in unnoticeable locations (e.g. in the armpit), to regulate blood glucose levels over long periods of time