Diabetes Type 1
Some patients with severe types of Diabetes Type 1 have difficulties controlling their blood sugar levels, even when using modern monitoring equipment and deploying intensive insulin regimes. Islet transplantation is the transplantation of isolated islets from a donor pancreas and into another person, which is a novel treatment currently undergoing clinical trials. Once transplanted, the islets begin to produce insulin, actively regulating the level of glucose in the blood.
In the period from 1999 to 2004, 471 patients with type 1 diabetes received islet transplants at 43 institutions worldwide. Currently registered clinical studies include more than 1000 patients.
Islets are usually infused into the patient's liver. The infused islets will however be treated just as any other foreign tissue: the immune system will attack the islets. One part of that response is an instant inflammation reaction, leading to a reduction of cell mass survival in the region of 50-80% of the infused cells.
Corline® has developed its CHS™ technology to be able to coat living cells and tissue. By coating Islet of Langerhans the company aims at protecting the cells from the innate immunity response and significantly increasing cell mass survival. Corline® has approval from the Swedish MPA to start clinical trials with its CHS™ technology.
