|
There are two major types of diabetes
– Type 1, where the body’s immune system has destroyed
the pancreatic insulin-making beta-cells, and Type 2, where
the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. Islet
transplantation is presently only being tested in patients
with Type 1 disease. While islet transplantation is still
considered an experimental treatment at least in the United
States, it has been shown to help a specific group of people
with Type 1 Diabetes – those with a history of severe
hypoglycemia and hypoglycemic unawareness. Although their
have been many successful transplants there is a great need
to assess how well transplanted islets perform their critical
functions of producing insulin and maintaining normal blood
sugar levels. For meaningful progress, clinicians everywhere
must monitor and define islet function and other biological/medical
results in the same way. To create these assessment protocols,
uniform biomarkers and surrogate endpoints need to be established
worldwide.
In 1999 the Penn-JDRF Center for Islet
Transplantation was established by Dr. Naji at the University
of Pennsylvania. Dr. Naji and his group performed their first
islet transplantation in a human in September 2001.
Dr. Naji along with a multi-disciplinary
team of surgeons, endocrinologist, immunologist, radiologist
primary research focus is on islets, their isolation, preparation,
functional evaluation, and imaging in the context of ongoing
clinical trials. Another important step, was the employment
of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to image islets, enabling
researchers to monitor islet function and examine other immune
and metabolic markers after transplantation.
Ali
Naji, MD, and his team have extended their focus on the
role of B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of T1D and organ
transplant rejection. His group was one of the first to demonstrate
the requisite role of B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of
islet inflammation. His large animal islet transplantation
studies have demonstrated the efficacy of B lymphocyte targeting
for the induction of long-term islet allograft tolerance in
diabetic non-human primates. His team plans to determine the
clinical efficacy of B lymphocyte directed immunotherapy as
part of a cooperative NIH sponsored islet transplantation
consortium.
For more information or if you are interested
in participating in the trial please call 215-662-4449. |
