New AI System Being Tested to Help People with Type 1 Diabetes Manage Insulin and Meals

A new study called the MELISSA trial is investigating whether an artificial intelligence system can help people with Type 1 diabetes achieve better blood sugar control. The trial is taking place across multiple centers in Europe and involves nearly 278 people with Type 1 diabetes who use multiple daily insulin injections (MDI)—a common intensive insulin regimen.

The study is designed to run for 22 weeks and will measure whether the AI system helps people spend more time in their target blood sugar range (70–180 mg/dL, or 3.9–10.0 mmol/L). The trial is being conducted as a randomized controlled study, which is considered the gold standard for testing whether a treatment works.

The MELISSA system has two main AI-driven features. The first is called the Adaptive Basal-Bolus Advisor (ABBA), which provides personalized suggestions for basal insulin (the background insulin dose) and mealtime insulin doses based on a person's individual patterns and needs.

The second feature is an automated dietary assessment tool called goFOOD, which takes photos of food and uses AI to estimate carbohydrate content. This is designed to help people with Type 1 diabetes quickly and accurately know how many carbohydrates they are eating—information that is essential for calculating the right mealtime insulin dose.

Participants spend the first six weeks in an initialization period where the AI system learns about their individual insulin needs and eating patterns. After that, people are randomly assigned to either use the MELISSA system with their usual care, or to continue with their usual care alone.

The main question the trial is trying to answer is whether using the MELISSA system helps people spend more time in their target blood sugar range compared to usual care. Researchers are also tracking other measures of blood sugar control, how people feel about using the system, and safety information.

The MELISSA trial is currently underway, and results have not yet been published. The study also includes a small exploratory group of people with Type 2 diabetes to gather early information about whether the system might be helpful for them as well.

If the trial shows that the MELISSA system helps people achieve better blood sugar control, it could become a tool to support people with Type 1 diabetes who use multiple daily injections. Until results are available, this remains a promising area of research rather than a proven treatment.

Source: Diabetes, obesity & metabolism. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.