Grant: Project Grant

Advances in transplantation of human insulin producing tissue (islets) have established the proof-of-concept for this therapy to emerge as a treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. Islet transplantation can relieve patients of the need for insulin injections or pumps and can improve blood glucose control. The hope for a cure from islet replacement is, however lessened by the decline in insulin independence rates seen in clinical islet transplantation. This decline is currently not fully understood, but likely involves reduced islet survival and immune rejection. Strategies to maximize survival of the transplanted islets and reduce the immune response are likely to have a major impact in enhancing long-term clinical outcomes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside in many tissues such as bone marrow and have shown potential as a regenerative medicine therapy for many degenerative diseases and immune disorders. Taken together, we hypothesize that MSCs combined with islets will improve and prolong islet function and that when co-transplanted with human islet will improve longer-term islet survival by locally secreting growth factors that promote cell survival or regeneration. Notably, with Edmonton's Clinical Islet Transplant program, along with Korbutt's $26 million stem cell facility for the clinical grade production of cells for diabetes therapy, this team is well positioned to rapidly transfer findings to clinical trials.