Electric pulses to the gut could help control early diabetes without drugs
NCT ID NCT07376486
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tests a procedure called pulsENDO that uses mild electric pulses to regenerate the lining of the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) in people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The goal is to see if this can help control blood sugar levels without needing diabetes medications. The trial will enroll 40 participants and follow them for up to 24 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pulsENDO procedure (non-thermal pulsed electric field applied to the duodenum via endoscopy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to control blood sugar in early type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for daily medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small trial (40 people) with no control group, so results may not be generalizable. The procedure carries risks from endoscopy and the electric pulses, and long-term safety and effectiveness are unknown.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2032
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Duration of T2DM \</= 2 years * HbA1c \</= 7.5% * On 0-1 oral diabetes medications Exclusion Criteria: * Previous treatment with pulsENDO or similar procedure * Previous GI surgery that could preclude the ability to perform pulsENDO, or acute gastric and duodenal pathology that increased the risk of pulsENDO * Type I DM, DM secondary to specific disease or having any history of ketoacidosis * Fasting C-peptide level \<0.5ug/L * Any inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract such as Crohn's disease * Abnormal pathologies or conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including duodenal polyps, ulcers or upper gastrointestinal bleeding conditions within 3 months of study * Uncorrectable bleeding diathesis, platelet dysfunction, thrombocytopenia with platelet count less than 100,000/microliter or known coagulopathy * Currently taking prescription antithrombotic therapy (e.g., anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent) within 10 days prior to study and/or there is a need or expected need to use during the study period * Currently taking medications known to cause significant weight gain or weight loss (e.g. chemotherapeutics) * Patients who have used non-steroidal analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and corticosteroids in the past 1 month * Underlying uncontrolled endocrine problem that leads to obesity, including and not limited to hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome and eating disorder. * Patients with contra-indications to endoscopy * Malignancy * Diagnosis of autoimmune connective tissue disorder (e.g. lupus erythematosus, scleroderma) * Pregnant or breast feeding * ASA grade IV \& V * Mental or psychiatric disorder; Drug or alcohol addiction * Other cases deemed by the examining physician as unsuitable for safe treatment * Refusal to participate
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Chinese University of Hong Kong
RECRUITINGShatin, Hong Kong
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