Rechargeable Cell Containment Device--Pancreatic Islet

The maintenance of euglycemia should prevent the development of or halt the progression of secondarcomplications of Diabetes Mellitus. Exogenous insulin therapy has been unsuccessful in producing coeuglycemia. Pancreatic tissue replacement has shown encouraging results but is limited to date by torgans, technical complications of the surgery, the immune response of the host, and infections andrequired immunosuppressive drug therapy. Bioartificial pancreas offer a potential solution by provito the contained islet tissue. This would allow the use of xenogeneic islet tissue without the needThe PI has developed a cell containment device which has been shown to 1) immunoisolate xenogeneic i2) allow the islets to produce insulin and remain viable for up to 43 days, 3) easily exchange isletsurgical intervention to maintain its function, 4) avoid encapsulation of the device. Phase I willdevice for use with porcine islets in achieving euglycemia in research dogs to assess the efficiencymicroencapsulated islets when used with this device.