DRIfocus Newsletter Summer 2014

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Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Summer 2014/ Volume 41 / Issue 2

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PILOT CLINICAL TRIAL WILL TEST A NEW SITE IN THE BODY FOR A DRI BIOHUB PLATFORM In 2013, the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation announced the next step in our approach to discover a biological cure by developing a DRI BioHub – a bioengineered “mini organ” that mimics the native pancreas, containing real insulin-producing cells that sense blood sugar and release the precise amount of insulin needed, in real time, together with critical components that keep the cells safe, healthy and functioning long term. The BioHub is a platform approach that builds upon decades of progress in clinical islet transplantation and holds the promise of achieving a practical cure by restoring natural insulin production in millions of children and adults living with diabetes. Over the last year, DRI Director Dr. Camillo Ricordi and his team have been investigating an optimal location within the body to house a BioHub. Currently, islets are transplanted into the liver, but that site is not an ideal home for the cells. One area of focus is the omentum, an apron-like lining inside the abdomen. DRI researchers believe that the omentum may be an ideal location for a BioHub. “The omentum is a very vascularized tissue that is easily accessed surgically, and most importantly, has the same blood supply and drainage characteristics of the pancreas,” said Dr. Ricordi. Encouraging preliminary data in experimental and preclinical models has shown that islets in the omentum can engraft and improve blood glucose control.

“We have observed long term survival and function of the islets in this site,” said Dr. Dora B e r m a n - We i n berg, a member of the DRI’s Cell Transplant Center, who conducted these experiments with Dr. Antonello Pileggi, director of Preclinical Cell Processing and Translational Models, and their respective teams. "We were able to establish and optimize a protocol for implanting islets onto the surface of the omentum. Preliminary islet transplantation studies in experimental models of diabetes confirmed the feasibility of the approach," said Dr. Pileggi. This exciting research is now moving to patient trials. The DRI has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to proceed with a Phase I/II clinical trial that will test the omentum as a possible transplant site for a DRI BioHub. In this pilot trial, researchers will transplant insulinproducing islet cells within a “biodegradable scaffold,” one of the approaches considered for a BioHub platform. Continued on Page 9

The Biggest Loser

Ray of Hope

Kickin’ It at Kids’ Carnival

Celebrating 40 years

30 Years of Support

Lesley Carey, president of The Biggest Loser Resorts, and Bobby Saleem, finalist from NBC’s The Biggest Loser, at the DRI Walk presented by Walgreens.

Shannon and Ray Allen of the Miami HEAT, with Dr. Camillo Ricordi, before their events, co-chaired by Andria and Javier Holtz and presented by Hublot.

Disney star Dylan Riley Snyder of the TV show Kickin’ It with Willa Besner at the Northeast Region’s Kids’ Carnival for a Cure.

Music legend Barry Gibb performed an exclusive concert for a sold-out crowd at the 40th Anniversary Love and Hope Ball.

Sports commentator Boomer Esiason with WCBS2 News anchor Chris Wragge at the 30th incarnation of the Real Estate industry’s Empire Ball in NYC.

> Articles on pages 14 & 15

> Article on page 16

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DRIfocus Newsletter Summer 2014 by Diabetes Research Institute Foundation - Issuu