20 september 2022 – 06:42
New study on implant for patients
After a successful evening in which a record amount was raised, DON, a foundation completely focused on the cure of type 1 diabetes, has awarded EUR 1 million in funding to new and promising research into the transplantation of own stem cells that are programmed to produce insulin again. can create. The research will be conducted within RegMed XB, a consortium of scientists, companies and governments in the field of regenerative medicine with the aim of bringing results to patients faster. The remaining EUR 0.7 million collected at the fundraising event will also fully benefit research.
Floor Dijkgraaf, director of DON: “Diabetes patients have been hearing for far too long that ‘it will be solved in 5 years’ and we are doing everything we can to make this happen. This requires a lot of money and after we were forced to cancel our fundraising event one day in advance due to COVID measures last year, we were able to celebrate our lustrum this year. It was a wonderful evening and we are extremely grateful for all the generous donations from our partners that allow us to fund this new research.
The Dutch researchers belong to the top of the world and by joining forces we bring together different solutions. Due to the involvement of RegMed XB, which last year received a major commitment from the National Growth Fund for the construction of a pilot factory, we are closer than ever to a real solution for patients. There is now real light at the end of the tunnel for patients.”
Type 1 diabetes is an unpreventable and incurable autoimmune disease in which patients no longer produce insulin and can therefore no longer regulate their blood sugar levels automatically. In the Netherlands, approximately 120,000 people suffer from type 1 diabetes, including many young children. Despite technical advances in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, the disease impacts patients’ lives 24 hours a day. Type 1 diabetes can lead to complications such as blindness, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and amputations, and research shows that patients live 13 years shorter on average. That is why DON is fully focused on funding research into healing. The new research brings a cure one step closer.
The research of Prof. dr. dr. Eelco de Koning of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in collaboration with Dr. Aart van Apeldoorn of Maastricht University will last 5 years and is a follow-up to an earlier study into the implantation of donor cells. Currently, transplantation is possible in very limited numbers in critically ill patients, but is not a good solution due to the lack of donors and the need for anti-rejection drugs. In the new study, research is being done into an implant made from the body’s own material with (among other things) new insulin-producing cells that are grown from own stem cells.
Background research
The current research is a continuation of the already existing collaboration between Prof. Dr. Eelco de Koning and his research team at the LUMC with Dr. Aart van Apeldoorn and the team in Maastricht. While the team from Leiden focuses on culturing insulin-producing cells from stem cells, the team from Maastricht is developing the implant. This implant must be porous in such a way that it allows the passage of the insulin produced by the cells in it, but at the same time protects the cells against an attack by their own immune system. With such an implant, a patient’s glucose control could be restored, thereby technically curing a patient. Although many steps are still needed before such an implant is not only safe, but also effective, the current research is expected to provide important new insights to make this implant a reality and bring the solution to patients.
Over RegMed XB
RegMed XB stands for Regenerative Medicine Crossing Borders. This institute stimulates international, multidisciplinary research collaboration to achieve groundbreaking results. RegMed XB stimulates research in regenerative medicine – in particular kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure and osteoarthritis. Within RegMed XB, a lot of attention is paid to bringing results to the patient faster. Various scientists, research institutes and universities participate in RegMed XB, together with companies, governments and health funds. DON plays an active role in this with the aim of curing diabetes.
Donors and volunteers
DON thanks all donors, partners and volunteers and expresses its special thanks to all ambassadors who have once again committed themselves selflessly: Klaas van Kruistum, Tooske Ragas, Frits Sissing, Jan Douwe Kroeske, Ronald de Boer, Paul Haarhuis, Kenneth Perez, and Alexander Rinnooy Kan, who are all personally involved because they themselves or their loved ones have been affected by this disease.
Bron: DON
Editorial Medicalfacts/ Janine Budding
I studied physiotherapy and health care business administration. In addition, I am a registered Independent client supporter and informal care broker. I have a lot of experience in various positions in healthcare, the social domain and the medical, pharmaceutical industry, nationally and internationally. And have broad medical knowledge of most specialties in healthcare. And of the health care laws from which health care is regulated and financed. Every year I attend most of the leading medical conferences in Europe and America to keep my knowledge up-to-date and to keep up with the latest developments and innovations. I am currently doing a Masters in Applied Psychology.
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