Project Remission is built on scientific evidence and implementation experience from real-world practice. It challenges the long-held assumption that chronic conditions must progress inevitably over time, proposing that lifestyle-driven root-cause management can produce measurable, clinically relevant improvements.

The initiative spotlights high-impact conditions that often share common drivers, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. By concentrating on shared upstream mechanisms—such as metabolic dysregulation, dietary patterns, physical inactivity, stress physiology, and sleep-related factors—the project aims to demonstrate how coordinated lifestyle interventions can change disease trajectories.

With chronic and mental health conditions accounting for a substantial share of U.S. healthcare spending, Project Remission frames root-cause strategies as an urgent shift in care design. The central message is that long-term management alone may not be the best standard when remission is achievable for some patients.

“Chronic disease care may fail most by not asking what is truly possible,” said ACLM CEO John Findley, MD, CPE. “The science is clear that remission may be achievable for some patients when we address the root causes of disease—leading to better outcomes, lower costs, and improved quality of life.”

ACLM describes Project Remission as a platform combining educational materials, clinical evidence, implementation resources, and examples from clinicians and organizations using remission-focused care models. It also provides frameworks and training intended to help health systems translate research into routine practice workflows.

The project builds on ACLM’s earlier collaboration, Project Remission: A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Type 2 Diabetes, launched in March 2026. That digital film series featured clinicians, health systems, and organizations implementing lifestyle medicine in practice, alongside patient accounts of health journeys.

“Among people with type 2 diabetes, we have clear evidence that remission of conditions often considered permanent is possible, sometimes even after long disease duration,” said ACLM Senior Director of Research and Quality Micaela Karlsen, PhD, MSPH. She added that hypertension can respond rapidly to lifestyle intervention and that addressing metabolic and lifestyle factors can influence multiple conditions simultaneously.

Explore Project Remission resources at https://projectremission.org/.

Subject of Research: Chronic disease remission; lifestyle interventions for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity
Article Title: ACLM Launches Project Remission to Shift Chronic Disease Care Toward Remission
News Publication Date: Not provided
Web References: https://projectremission.org/ ; https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html ; https://lifestylemedicine.org
References: Not provided
Image Credits: Credit: ACLM
Keywords: lifestyle medicine, chronic disease, remission, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, metabolic health, patient outcomes, clinical implementation

Cell therapies, which leverage genetically engineered living cells to act as miniature drug factories, hold immense potential to provide continuous, precise delivery of therapeutic proteins directly inside the body. However, the survival of these therapeutic cells depends critically on a reliable supply of oxygen and nutrients. Under the skin—a preferred location for minimally invasive implantation—oxygen availability is severely limited, forcing compromises between cell viability and therapeutic cell quantity. When cells are densely packed, they compete for scarce oxygen, leading to rapid cell death and loss of therapeutic efficacy.

Recognizing this bottleneck, the Rice-led team engineered HOBIT with a fully integrated, wireless oxygen-generation system that locally produces oxygen in situ. At the heart of the device lies a miniaturized electrocatalytic oxygenator featuring an iridium oxide-coated surface that uses electricity to split water molecules naturally present in surrounding tissues. This cutting-edge electrochemical process generates oxygen precisely where it is needed, sustaining densely packed cells without harmful byproducts. An onboard battery powers the oxygenator and can be wirelessly controlled and adjusted remotely to finely tune oxygen delivery based on therapeutic demand.

Distinct from prior oxygenation devices requiring external wiring, HOBIT’s compact, self-contained design compresses the oxygen producer, battery, electronics, and cell chamber into an assembly roughly the size of a folded stick of gum. This miniaturization not only facilitates implantation beneath the skin with minimal invasion and discomfort but also enables the device to be retrievable, allowing for future upgrades or removal. The device also shields therapeutic cells from immune attack using a sophisticated two-stage encapsulation scheme: cells are encapsulated within biocompatible alginate hydrogel microbeads, which are then housed within a semi-permeable membrane chamber. This configuration permits the unrestricted flow of nutrients, oxygen, and secreted biologics, while simultaneously protecting cells from host immune cells.

The therapeutic cells programmed inside HOBIT are extraordinary in their multifunctionality. They continuously manufacture and secrete three distinct biologic molecules that represent diverse therapeutic classes and exhibit different in vivo half-lives. These include an antibody to provide immune modulation, a hormone critical for metabolic balance, and exenatide—a GLP-1 receptor agonist analog used for glycemic control in diabetes. This multiplexed therapeutic secretion underscores HOBIT’s capacity to support complex treatment regimens through a single implant, a capability rarely achieved in existing cell-based therapies.

Collaborators emphasize that solving the oxygen supply problem is pivotal. “By producing oxygen directly inside the device, we effectively uncouple cell survival from the limitations of the host’s local tissue environment,” explained lead author Chris Wright, a Ph.D. student at Rice University. “We demonstrated that with HOBIT, we can sustain cell densities approximately sixfold greater than traditional encapsulation methods without oxygenation.” This represents a transformative leap in dosage potential, possibly enabling clinically meaningful therapeutic effects that were previously unattainable with subcutaneous implants.

Long-term animal studies confirmed the device’s superior performance. Rats implanted with oxygenated HOBIT devices maintained stable blood levels of the three secreted biologics for a full 30 days, whereas non-oxygenated control implants showed precipitous declines, particularly for short-lived molecule concentrations. Post-explant analysis revealed that about 65% of cells in oxygenated devices remained viable after one month, compared to only 20% in controls, illuminating the profound impact of localized oxygen generation on cellular survival and therapy durability.

The interdisciplinary research blend combining bioengineering, materials science, and electrochemistry was central to HOBIT’s success. Tzahi Cohen-Karni from Carnegie Mellon described it as a remarkable union of advanced materials design with biomedical innovation. Northwestern’s Jonathan Rivnay highlighted the system’s ability to be wirelessly modulated and remotely programmed, opening the door for dynamic, patient-specific treatment adaptation without repeated surgeries or interventions.

This versatile platform does not only promise new avenues for diabetes—an area of keen interest given pancreatic islets’ notoriously high oxygen demand—but also sets the stage for treating myriad chronic conditions requiring sustained protein biologic delivery. The researchers envision future iterations integrating multiple cell types, biosensors, and controlled secretion systems within retrievable implants, crafting a sophisticated therapeutic technology akin to a personalized, artificial endocrine organ.

Looking ahead, the team plans to scale testing to larger animal models and refine disease-specific implementations to validate clinical translatability. The ultimate objective is to overcome the intrinsic limitations of traditional drug administration—frequent dosing, off-target effects, and variable pharmacokinetics—by embedding living, programmable cell factories directly into patients, thereby providing continuous, controlled, and multimodal therapeutic interventions.

While the HOBIT platform currently focuses on oxygenation to sustain encapsulated cells, its broader implications resonate through bioelectronic medicine and implantable device landscapes. By marrying metabolic support with immune protection and wireless functionality, this innovation could catalyze a paradigm shift, ushering in an era where once laborsome therapeutic regimens are replaced by implantable, sustainable, and smart bio-factories inside the human body.

The research, recently published in the journal Device, was supported by multiple funding bodies including Breakthrough T1D and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The inventors have filed a provisional patent application and are commercializing the technology through DuraCyte, a startup company co-founded by several lead researchers, signaling an active pathway toward clinical development and commercialization.

In sum, HOBIT exemplifies how convergence between engineering disciplines and biological sciences can solve intricate physiological challenges, bringing forth transformative solutions that offer hope for more effective, less burdensome treatments for patients worldwide. This hybrid bioelectronic platform fosters a future where “smart” implants may one day replace conventional pharmaceuticals, establishing a new frontier in personalized medicine.

Subject of Research:
Implantable cell therapies with integrated oxygenation for enhanced cell viability and therapeutic efficacy

Article Title:
Design of a wireless, fully implantable platform for in-situ oxygenation of encapsulated cell therapies

News Publication Date:
March 27, 2026

Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2026.101106
https://news.rice.edu

References:
Wright, C., Surendran, A., Lee, I., Villacres, J., Ezerins, A., Curtiss, A., Brown, N., Liu, J., Rothrock, B., Wang, H., Fell, C., Davis, A., Hester, J., Cohen-Karni, T., Rivnay, J., Veiseh, O. (2026). Design of a wireless, fully implantable platform for in-situ oxygenation of encapsulated cell therapies. Device. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2026.101106

Image Credits:
Photo by Jared Jones, Rice University

The persistent challenge in developing implantable cell-based drug delivery systems has been the maintenance of cell viability within the hostile in vivo environment—particularly addressing the critical issue of oxygen supply. Engineered cells encapsulated inside an implant require sufficient oxygen to survive and function optimally. In densely packed constructs, oxygen diffusion is severely limited, leading to cell death and thus compromising therapeutic efficacy. To overcome this, the interdisciplinary team designed HOBIT to integrate an intrinsic oxygen-generating bioelectronic component that locally supplies oxygen to the encapsulated cells, addressing hypoxia at its source within the implant.

The device is notably compact—approximately the size of a folded stick of gum—yet ingeniously combines three core elements: a cell reservoir housing genetically engineered cells, a miniature electrochemical oxygen generator, and an electronic system comprising a battery and wireless communication module. The electrochemical oxygen generator performs water splitting in situ, directly producing oxygen where the cells reside rather than relying on passive oxygen diffusion from surrounding tissue. This design enables significantly higher cell densities—in this case, sixfold greater than conventional, non-oxygenated encapsulation methods—allowing the implant to sustain robust therapeutic output in a much smaller footprint.

For proof of concept, the investigators programmed the engineered cells within HOBIT to simultaneously produce three distinct biologics of clinical importance: an anti-HIV antibody critical for viral neutralization, a GLP-1-like peptide analog used in glycemic control for type 2 diabetes management, and leptin, a hormone integral to appetite regulation and metabolic balance. These molecules were selected deliberately for their distinct pharmacokinetic profiles, with varying in vivo half-lives representing a rigorous testbed for the device’s ability to maintain stable, multi-drug delivery.

The research team implanted HOBIT devices subcutaneously in rodent models and tracked the pharmacodynamic profiles of the biologics over a 30-day period. In animals implanted with oxygenated devices, blood plasma assays revealed stable systemic concentrations of all three therapeutic agents throughout the experiment, attesting to sustained cellular activity and secretion. Conversely, controls employing non-oxygenated implants exhibited precipitous declines in biologic levels, with shorter half-life molecules falling below measurable thresholds within a week and longer half-life agents undergoing steady degradation. This substantiated the critical role of localized oxygenation in prolonging implant efficacy.

Cell viability assays conducted post-explantation further validated the oxygenation strategy’s effectiveness. Approximately 65% of cells within the oxygenated devices remained viable after one month, a striking improvement compared to merely 20% survival in traditional encapsulation devices lacking oxygen supply. This enhanced viability directly correlated with the device’s ability to maintain continuous drug production, underscoring the importance of addressing microenvironmental oxygen deprivation within the implant.

The engineering sophistication of HOBIT extends to its wireless capabilities. Its integrated electronics facilitate remote regulation of oxygen output and enable real-time communication with external devices, opening avenues for personalized, programmable therapy management. Such connectivity allows fine-tuning of treatment regimens in response to patient-specific physiological data without invasive procedures, ushering in an era where medical implants act as intelligent, autonomous drug factories inside the body.

Beyond the immediate therapeutic benefits, this platform offers transformative potential for managing a host of chronic conditions that currently rely on frequent, labor-intensive medication administration. The ability to embed living cells producing complex biological agents promises to improve patient adherence, reduce systemic side effects associated with bolus dosing, and minimize healthcare burdens linked to injectable or oral therapies. The convergence of synthetic biology, materials science, and bioelectronics embodied by HOBIT exemplifies the future of precision medicine.

The research not only represents a milestone in biohybrid device engineering but also sets a precedent for future developments in encapsulated cell therapies requiring sustained oxygenation. Previous iterations of electrochemical oxygen generation conducted by the team demonstrated promising oxygen-supplying capabilities; however, their integration into a miniaturized, fully implantable, wireless system marks a leap forward in clinical translatability. This advancement addresses prior limitations in scalability and long-term functionality that have impeded widespread adoption of living cell implants.

Looking ahead, the consortium plans to extend their investigations into larger animal models and specialized disease applications. This includes exploring treatments predicated on pancreatic islet cell transplantation aimed at diabetes remission and other therapeutic strategies demanding chronic, stable delivery of multiple biologics. Success in these domains could precipitate a paradigm shift in how complex, multi-drug regimens are administered, ultimately improving outcomes for millions worldwide.

The study, titled “Design of a wireless, fully implantable platform for in-situ oxygenation of encapsulated cell therapies,” is set for publication on March 27, 2026, in the esteemed journal Device. Supported by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Breakthrough T1D, this work underscores the significant investment and interdisciplinary collaboration driving innovations at the intersection of bioengineering and medicine.

As Jonathan Rivnay, co-principal investigator from Northwestern University, remarked, this integrated biohybrid platform exemplifies a new class of therapeutic devices that transcend conventional pharmacology and move toward programmable, optimized therapies tailored to individual patient needs. The marriage of bioelectronics with synthetic biology signals a new dawn in biomedicine, where living implants can autonomously manufacture a spectrum of drugs, giving unprecedented control over disease treatment paradigms.

In conclusion, HOBIT’s innovative design effectively addresses the long-standing oxygen limitation challenge in encapsulated cell therapy, enabling sustained, multiplexed biologic production in a fully implantable, wireless device. This breakthrough represents an exciting convergence of technologies with the potential to fundamentally redefine chronic disease management, offering a glimpse into the future where medical implants serve as active, living pharmacies inside the human body.

Subject of Research: Development of a wireless, fully implantable biohybrid device for sustained in vivo oxygenation and multiproduct biologic drug delivery using engineered cells.

Article Title: Design of a wireless, fully implantable platform for in-situ oxygenation of encapsulated cell therapies

News Publication Date: March 27, 2026

Web References: Not provided in original content

References: Provided DOI – 10.1016/j.device.2026.101106

Image Credits: Jared Jones/Rice University

Keywords: Implantable devices, encapsulated cell therapy, bioelectronics, oxygen generation, living pharmacy, biologic drugs, synthetic biology, chronic disease treatment, wireless medical implants, drug delivery, metabolic regulation, electrochemical oxygenation