Disease Focus: Metabolic Disorders
Stem cell-derived islet cell replacement therapy with immunosuppression for high-risk type 1 diabetes
Therapeutic Candidate or Device hESC-derived pancreatic progenitor cells delivered in a device that allows direct vascularization of the cell therapy Indication high-risk type 1 diabetes including "brittle" diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness Therapeutic Mechanism People with type 1 diabetes have lost their pancreatic cells that make insulin, and therefore have to self-administer insulin. It is very […]
Scaffold for dermal regeneration containing pre-conditioned mesenchymal stem cells to heal chronic diabetic wounds
The goal of our CIRM-funded Early Translational (ETA) grant was to engineer a product to improve healing in diabetic foot ulcers, a devastating consequence of diabetes that occurs in about 25% of all diabetic patients and is responsible for most leg or foot amputations. More than 6 million people in the US and up to […]
Clinical Development of a Cell Therapy for Diabetes
We are developing a stem cell-derived replacement cell therapy for insulin-requiring diabetes. Through a process known as directed differentiation, embryonic stem cells are turned into pancreatic cells in the laboratory. The pancreatic cells are loaded into a delivery device, which is essentially a small envelope made with a semi-permeable membrane, not unlike a flat tea […]
Skin-derived precursor cells for the treatment of enteric neuromuscular dysfunction
The intestine performs the essential function of absorbing food and water into the body. Without a functional intestine, children and adults cannot eat normal meals, and these patients depend on intravenous nutrition to sustain life. Many of these patients do not have a neural system that coordinates the function of the intestine. These patients have […]
Skin-derived precursor cells for the treatment of enteric neuromuscular dysfunction
The intestine performs the essential function of absorbing food and water into the body. Without a functional intestine, children and adults cannot eat normal meals, and these patients depend on intravenous nutrition to sustain life. Many of these patients do not have a neural system that coordinates the function of the intestine. These patients have […]
Development of a clinical-grade extracorporeal liver support system using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatic cells
Liver failure is the fourth leading cause of adult death in California. Because liver cells can regenerate, some patients with liver failure could be saved without having to undergo organ transplantation if their liver function could be supported temporarily. Here, we propose to develop a device to support these patients called the “extracorporeal liver support […]