THE VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

The mission of the Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC) is to bring a team-based approach to the acquisition of new knowledge and the production of novel resources necessary to develop cell-based therapies for insulin delivery. The main research strategies include: 1) using knowledge of cues from developmental pathways and events to generate a functioning pancreatic islets in vitro; 2) understand mechanisms of beta-cell regeneration to determine how to preserve or increase beta-cell mass; 3) develop protocols to direct the differentiation of stem cells to beta-cells and/or a pancreatic islet. The BCBC is also working collaboratively to create and distribute critical reagents (antibodies, viral vectors, small molecules, etc.), relevant transgenic mouse lines and preclinical model systems, as well as establishing protocols to identify, purify and characterize pancreatic stem/progenitor cells to fulfill its mission. The program provides support to develop novel human islet cell replacement therapies for diabetes. While insulin replacement therapy has transformed type 1 diabetes (T1D) from a fatal disease to a chronic one, it is still associated with significant morbidity. Complications of diabetes lead to kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and urologic complications, while diabetes increases the risk of macrovascular disease by 2-4 fold. Intensive therapy is associated with significant adverse events related to hypoglycemia. Thus, a restoration of pancreatic function through transplantation or regeneration would be a vast improvement over current practice.

Clarification of Codes