C3: Treatment of type 1 diabetes with porcine islet cells: transplantation of multi-transgenic islets expressing immunomodulatory molecules

The aim of the project is to cure type 1 diabetes by transplantation (Tx) of transgenic porcine beta cells. In previous studies we provide the proof-of-principle that overexpression of the immunomodulatory molecule LEA29Y in porcine islets prevents T cell-meditated xenorejection in humanized NOD-scid-IL2 receptor gammanull (NSG) mice. Since protection from rejection was not observed in animals carrying a fully matured immune system, it is planned to knockout major porcine xenoantigens, to overexpress multiple transgenes targeting T cells, B cells and innate immune cells and to study their effects in several mouse models with and without addition of low-dose immunosuppressive drugs. When rejection of transplanted beta cells is inhibited, efficiency of the method will be confirmed by Tx in non-human primates to provide the preclinical studies for the transfer of this novel approach to the clinic.