The success of clinical islet transplantation as a curative therapy for Type 1 diabetes has been hampered by concerns regarding allograft durability, shortages of cadaver donor pancreata, chronic immunosuppression toxicities, and recurrent autoimmunity. To hasten progress and circumvent these limitations, adult human beta-cell replacement alternatives are being developed for clinical investigation using both porcine islets and differentiated human stem cells. In addition, encapsulation materials designed to shield transplanted cells from destructive immunity are being evaluated in phase I clinical trials. In this workshop, regulatory authorities, academia, industry, and funding bodies will convene to discuss the translational landscape and technology platforms required for the next generation of beta-cell transplantation. It will provide a highly interactive venue for identifying the hurdles that need to be overcome to achieve clinical success. It also will identify FDA-acceptable approaches and endpoints required for therapeutics, and will introduce the relevant models and assays necessary to demonstrate proof of concept in experimental animals.
For questions concerning program content, contact:
Michael C. Appel, Ph.D.
Director, Islet Biology and Transplantation Research Program
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
NIH/NIDDK
Two Democracy Plaza, Room 792
6707 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 5460
Bethesda, MD 20892-5460
Telephone: (301) 594-4740
Fax: (301) 480-0475
Email: appelm@niddk.nih.gov
Julia L. Greenstein, Ph.D.
Director, Beta Cell Replacement
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
120 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005-4001
Telephone: (212) 479-7682
Fax: (212) 785-9595
Email: jgreenstein@jdrf.org
For questions concerning logistical information, contact:
Ramona Spencer, CMP
The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc.
656 Quince Orchard Road, Suite 210
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Telephone: (301) 670-4990
Fax: (301) 670-3815
Email: rspencer@scgcorp.com