Development of a Bioartificial Vascular Pancreas

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Pancreatic islet transplantation is a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes.
• Current transplantation methods face challenges with insufficient oxygen supply, leading to islet loss.
• Scaling up islet transplantation for human application is hindered by oxygen diffusion limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel vascular scaffold for pancreatic islet transplantation, termed the BioVascular Pancreas (BVP).
• To overcome oxygenation limitations associated with traditional islet transplantation methods.
• To assess the efficacy and scalability of the BVP for treating type 1 diabetes.

Main Methods:

• Islets were seeded onto an acellular vascular graft using fibrin hydrogel, creating the BVP.
• The BVP was designed to allow oxygenated arterial blood flow through the graft lumen to supply islets.
• In silico simulations, in vitro bioreactor experiments, and in vivo implantation in nude rats and pigs were conducted.

Main Results:

• The BVP design demonstrated adequate islet survivability and avoidance of hypoxia in simulations and bioreactor studies.
• Implantation in rats restored near-normoglycemia for 90 days and showed robust host vascular infiltration.
• Pilot studies in pigs indicated the scalability of the BVP technology.

Conclusions:

• The BioVascular Pancreas (BVP) effectively addresses oxygenation challenges in pancreatic islet transplantation.
• The BVP shows promise as a durable and scalable solution for type 1 diabetes treatment.
• This innovative tissue engineering approach may offer a pathway to cure type 1 diabetes through islet transplantation.