Grant: Operating Grant

In type I diabetes, patients lose most or all of the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, a hormone required to control blood sugar levels. While insulin can be provided via injection, this does not fully replace the real-time feedback control provided by the natural system, and requires the patient to undergo regular blood sugar testing and injections. A promising alternative is the transplantation of islets, clusters of cells from the pancreas where the beta cells are located. Unfortunately, islet supply is limited, and survival after transplantation is not perfect. Part of the reason for this is that once the islets are detached from the donor blood supply, it is difficult for oxygen and nutrients to reach their interior, and connections with the host blood supply take time to form. We have recently developed new technologies and approaches for forming, understanding and controlling the behaviour of cell clusters. This funding will allow us to apply them to the production of clusters of pancreatic beta cells whose size, composition and environment prepare them to be ideal candidates for transplantation. The results of this work will lay the foundation for islet transplantation therapies that are more efficient, more effective and more widely available to patients in Canada and around the world.