Dr. Babita Agrawal & Dr. Gina Rayat

Project

A novel immunomodulatory agent: Role in prevention of immune rejection and tolerance induction to islet grafts Type I diabetes is a chronic disease afflicting individuals from childhood or adolescence and remaining for the remainder of their lives. Destruction of insulin producing B cells in the islet of pancreas is immune mediated. As a result, patients with type I diabetes remain dependent on exogenous insulin, and meticulous regimens of injections, food and blood glucose monitoring. These strict regimens make the life of patients quite difficult.

The islet transplant group in Edmonton has brought a major therapeutic breakthrough by transplanting islets in type I diabetes patients and freeing them from insulin injections as well as strict glucose monitoring. The success of islet transplant is however limited by the availability of human islets for transplantation and immune rejection of transplanted islets requiring immunosupressive drugs. The limitation of availability of islets is being tackled by examining the possibility of xeno islet transplantation and the immune mediated rejection can be prevented by inducing tolerance to the transplanted tissue and/or providing immunosuppressive drugs. However, currently available immunosuppressive drugs are all associated with significant toxicity, making their long term use highly problematic.

In our recent studies, we have identified a novel immunomodulatory agent. This small molecule has the potential to be used as a safe alternative to immunosuppressive drugs to induce tolerance to the transplanted tissue. In the proposed project, we will study the role of this new class of immune modulator in islet transplantation.

These studies will provide important information on this novel compound and may provide a new approach for the treatment of type I diabetes.