Towards regenerative cell therapy for type-1 diabetes

Lorenzo Pasquali

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. In Spain, it affects one in seven adults and is estimated to causes the death of more than 25,000 people every year. About 10 % of diabetes cases in Spain correspond to type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors lays the foundations for the progressive destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. This results in elevated blood sugar levels, which can cause serious and potentially life-threatening cardiovascular complications.

Recent advances mean that pancreatic cells can be derived from pluripotent stem cells, opening up new avenues for cell replacement therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes, enabling them to regain control of their glycaemic index. The problem is that when these lab-grown cells are transplanted, local inflammation gradually eliminates them, and the disease eventually returns.

This project will study the relationship between inflammation and genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes. The knowledge generated will lay the groundwork for designing beta cells capable of surviving the challenges of inflammation, thus enabling a major breakthrough in cell replacement therapy.

• Heiko Lickert, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany

Generating stress-resistant β-cell for cell replacement therapy

€981,616.00