Dr. Melanie Graham's Manuscript Featured in Science Advances Journal

The peer-reviewed journal Science Advances featured Professor of Surgery Dr. Melanie Graham's manuscript, "A bioengineered artificial interstitium supports long-term islet xenograft survival in nonhuman primates without immunosuppression," in their January issue. 

This manuscript details the work in designing a diabetes therapy that eliminates immunosuppression needed for islet transplant, using an unlimited source of insulin-producing cells.

Dr. Graham details the significance of this research, stating, "People with Type 1 diabetes face multiple daily insulin injections to manage their diabetes. Insulin is not a cure, and many people with diabetes face life-threatening complications even with careful regimens. Islet transplant can reverse diabetes using isolated islets from cadaver donors and reinfusing them into the patient. However, there are not enough donors, and this procedure requires immunosuppression to ensure the body doesn't reject the cells. This is not only toxic but can make a person more susceptible to other diseases."

So, how do we solve that?

"For decades, the goal in transplant has been to come up with approaches to eliminate immunosuppression, and we have created a site just underneath the skin that is capable of 'hiding' donor cells so that they can survive to serve as a bioartificial pancreas for people with diabetes. This means we can increase safety and treat a lot more patients since we don't have the risk of exposing a person to immunosuppression," says Dr. Graham. 

There is still more work to be done, with an estimated two to three-year path to clinic optimistically. 

However, as for what's next, Dr. Graham says, "We need to address the major bottleneck to transplantation - there are simply not enough organ donors. This technology is designed to use insulin-producing cells that are derived from sources like pigs or stem cells since cells can be replenished or retrieved by simply inserting a needle through the skin. Since these are unlimited cell sources, eventually, this could benefit all patients with diabetes."

For more information, read the full manuscript in Science Advances here.