By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The world’s largest meeting to discuss cutting-edge education and information about diabetes is going on at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Major advances on type 1 diabetes are expected to be talked about today.

Nearly three million Americans have type 1 diabetes. It’s a disorder of the human immune system that makes it difficult for the body to produce insulin.

Dr. Aaron Kowalski, who works on treatment therapies at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, says progress is accelerating on a couple of fronts.

“One is on the devices we have been funding and supporting a project called the JDRF artificial pancreas project. Incredible progress made on that front, where the FDA has just approved trials for people to go wear these devices out in the real world. I think on the cure of diabetes we have different ways you can replace insulin producing cells in people.

Dr. Kowalski says they are on the cusp of seeing companies commercializing the artificial pancreas systems.