Kidney failure contributes to 11% of all deaths in Australia and is projected to affect as many as 30,000 Australians by 2020, at a cumulative cost of $12 billion. Kidney transplantation is a far more effective treatment for this condition than dialysis, but there will always be a shortfall of human donors. Using pigs as donors offers a potential solution. The aim of this project is to genetically modify donor pigs so that their kidneys will not be rejected by human recipients.
Manipulating The Balance Of Effector And Regulatory T Cells To Promote Islet Xenograft Survival
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,542,601.00
Summary
Type 1 diabetes destroys the body’s insulin-producing cells (islets), resulting in high blood sugar levels and the prospect of devastating complications. Replacement of islets by transplantation is the only way to restore normal blood sugar control, but (i) is limited by the shortage of human donors and (ii) carries risks associated with anti-rejection drugs. This project aims to solve both problems by using humanized pigs as donors combined with a novel approach to inducing tolerance to the tra ....Type 1 diabetes destroys the body’s insulin-producing cells (islets), resulting in high blood sugar levels and the prospect of devastating complications. Replacement of islets by transplantation is the only way to restore normal blood sugar control, but (i) is limited by the shortage of human donors and (ii) carries risks associated with anti-rejection drugs. This project aims to solve both problems by using humanized pigs as donors combined with a novel approach to inducing tolerance to the transplanted islets.Read moreRead less