Treatment of Diabetes
Pancreatic Islet Transplantation
Description:
A major, very promising avenue of investigation for treatment of diabetes is that of islet cell transplantation. A variety of strategies are under investigation for the introduction into diabetic patients of functioning pancreatic islet cells, which can produce insulin and overcome the diabetic phenotype. Although some results have been encouraging, there have been no long-term successes with islet transplantation. Problems encountered to date include the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs, or problems associated with use of animal tissue or insufficient supply of human islet cells from cadavers. Other avenues involving human embryonic stem cells, while intriguing, may be hindered by recent government policies restricting some forms of stem cell research.
The present invention overcomes these hurdles through the discovery that certain cell types from the mature pancreas can be induced to de-differentiate, so as to serve as precursor cells for the ultimate redifferentiation into islet, exocrine, or mature duct cells. This invention leads to a potential source of islet cells for transplantation that is not dependent upon animals, or human embryonic stem cells.
Clinical &
Commercial Utility:
The invention comprises an improved method for treatment of diabetes using islet cell transplantation. Mature pancreatic cells are induced to de-differentiate according to the invention, and are then driven to create functioning islet cells, which can be transplanted into patients to treat or cure diabetes.
Joslin Diabetes Center is offering a worldwide, exclusive license to this technology.
For more information please contact:
David J. Glass, Ph.D.
Director, Technology Transfer
Office of the General Counsel
Joslin Diabetes Center - Room 755C
One Joslin Place
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-732-2400, ext. 4793
Fax: 617-732-2542 David.Glass@Joslin.Harvard.edu
