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Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. This results in a deficiency of insulin which is essential for the body cells to metabolize glucose. The usual treatment is to inject insulin on a regular basis. Duo An and his colleagues have developed a way to introduce live beta cells in a protective coating so they won't be attacked by the patient's immune system. Furthermore, they have arranged the beta cells and their protective coating along a surgical thread so they can be easily inserted or removed by laparoscopic surgery. An demonstrates the process.