British Diabetes Research Program Awarded Major Funding Boost

A British project to develop a long term insulin-producing implant for treatment of diabetes has received a major infusion of funding that will allow it to proceed with its five-year work plan.

The Oxford Islet Transplant Program at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) is a member of the DRIVE (Diabetes Reversing Implants with enhanced Viability and long-term Efficacy) consortium, which comprises fourteen partners from seven European countries. The University of Oxford component was recently awarded EUR 8.9 million (GBP 6.37 million) funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Program.

Currently the main treatment for diabetes is the daily injection of insulin. In patients where control is poor, transplantation of pancreatic cells is possible. However there are challenges with this therapy including the short supply of donor pancreases, the need to use three to four pancreases to get enough beta-cells for treatment and poor graft survival and retention at the transplant site. The DRIVE consortium will address these challenges by developing a completely new system to deliver pancreatic beta-cells effectively in a targeted and protected fashion. DRIVE’s five-year work plan will include animal testing, with a view to human testing at the end of the project.

Dr. Paul Johnson, director of the Oxford Islet Transplant Program and professor of pediatric surgery at the University of Oxford, said, "Over the past 10 years, the transplantation of insulin-producing pancreatic cells known as islet cells (that can sense blood sugar levels and release insulin to maintain normal sugar levels) has achieved very promising results in adults who have developed the severest complications from insulin-dependent diabetes. The challenge is to now make sure that more people can benefit from this minimally-invasive treatment."

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