According to Chicago Defender, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine physicians are looking for local Chicago-area citizens interested in participating in a clinical trial study for a new potential type-2 diabetes treatment, known as EndoBarrier.

EndoBarrier is a small, flexible tube-shaped liner that serves as a barrier between food and the intestinal wall. EndoBarrier’s design allows it to alter the release of hormones, which changes the way the body responds to food. The EndoBarrier would, ideally, help improve the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar.

The tube is inserted non-surgically, using an endoscope, through the mouth. If it proves to be a successful treatment option, it would help to bring more manageable and affordable diabetes treatments to those who suffer from it.

In Illinois alone, 1.4 million people live with diabetes and, according to the CDC, over 1.1 million of these people live in the Chicago-area. Currently, researchers at Northwestern are searching only for Chicago-area residents who are obese, have type 2 diabetes, and who would be interested in being part of the device’s trial run.

Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong metabolic disorder, and comprises about 90% of diabetes cases. It’s characterized by insulin resistance, which causes high blood sugar. It is currently managed through medications, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgery. Interestingly, preliminary research from the University of Cambridge suggests that eating chocolate could potentially help people reduce their risk of diabetes by about 31% because it improves insulin sensitivity.