Publications by authors named "G L Szot"
Article Synopsis
- Long-term success of beta-cell replacement is hindered by the toxic effects of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) on beta-cells and kidney function.
- A study was conducted on 10 Type 1 diabetes patients who received islet transplants with either belatacept or efalizumab for immunosuppression, with 70% of them remaining insulin-independent after 10 years.
- Although patients generally maintained their kidney function, those undergoing pancreas-after-islet (PAI) transplants experienced more significant renal impairment due to CNI, and repeat islet transplants did not effectively sustain long-term insulin independence.
Article Synopsis
- Clinical islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes is hindered by the lack of pancreas donors and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppression.
- Researchers are exploring a new bioartificial pancreas (iBAP) that utilizes silicon nanopore membranes to potentially replace the need for immunosuppressants while maintaining islet function.
- Their findings indicate that for effective insulin production, specific perifusion rates must be met, with successful insulin secretion responses observed in both lab and live pig models.
Objective: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a potentially fatal disease of the exocrine pancreas, with no specific or effective approved therapies. Due to difficulty in accessing pancreas tissues, little is known about local immune responses or pathogenesis in human CP. We sought to characterise pancreatic immune responses using tissues derived from patients with different aetiologies of CP and non-CP organ donors in order to identify key signalling molecules associated with human CP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been regulating human islets for allotransplantation as a biologic drug in the US. Consequently, the requirement of a biological license application (BLA) approval before clinical use of islet transplantation as a standard of care procedure has stalled the development of the field for the last 20 years. Herein, we provide our commentary to the multiple FDA's position papers and guidance for industry arguing that BLA requirement has been inappropriately applied to allogeneic islets, which was delivered to the FDA Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee on 15 April 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFType 1 diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia unawareness have benefitted from cellular therapies, such as pancreas or islet transplantation; however, donor shortage and the need for immunosuppression limits widespread clinical application. We previously developed an intravascular bioartificial pancreas (iBAP) using silicon nanopore membranes (SNM) for immunoprotection. To ensure ample nutrient delivery, the iBAP will need a cell scaffold with high hydraulic permeability to provide mechanical support and maintain islet viability and function.
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