Tom Mandel Islet Transplant Program
Several researchers in the Diabetes CCRE are involved in the Tom Mandel Islet Transplant program, including CI Tom Kay and others. Transplantation of insulin-producing islet cells has recently emerged as a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes but there are continuing limitations to the procedure. These include impaired function and viability of islets prior to and soon after transplantation, later loss of graft function, and the side-effects of immunosuppressive drugs. The aim of our Program is to address these issues and also to establish a platform for the introduction of future cell-based therapies for diabetes. Major centres in Melbourne are collaborative partners in this effort; they bring significant strengths in islet immunobiology, transplant medicine, diabetes clinical care, and processing of cells for therapeutic delivery under cGMP-licensed conditions to the Program. The Program is participating in a clinical trial to test a variation in immunosuppressive protocol that will avoid the simultaneous exposure to Tacrolimus and Sirolimus, to reduce side-effects and potentially improve graft survival. Since 2008, five patients have been transplanted with islets; two patients no longer require insulin injections and all have improved glycaemic control. This study is a collaborative effort with the National Pancreas Transplant Unit at Westmead Hospital in Sydney and the South Australian and Northern Territory Islet Program at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide. A series of other studies will be carried out to provide insight into why islet grafts fail in the short or long term and also to examine the metabolic effects of islet transplants.
Funding for the Program has come mainly from the Federal Government and is being administered by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The JDRF has also made a significant funding contribution to islet transplantation in Australia.
For more information about this transplant program, please contact the Program’s Clinical Trial Coordinator (Kathy Howe) on 03 9288 3678 or go to http://itp.jdrf.org.au/.