A recent study published in Science Advances highlights the innovative use of reprogrammed vascular endothelial cells (R-VECs) to enhance the survival and function of islet transplants, potentially offering a new treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Current FDA-approved islet transplantation methods are invasive and necessitate long-term use of immune-suppressing drugs, which often lead to suboptimal outcomes and eventual rejection of the islets.

Conducted by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, the preclinical study indicates that incorporating engineered human blood vessel-forming cells into islet transplants significantly improves the survival of insulin-producing cells and may even reverse type 1 diabetes.

Moreover, the combination of islets and R-VECs has shown effectiveness in microfluidic devices, paving the way for rapid testing of diabetes drugs.

Looking ahead, future research will focus on evaluating the safety and efficacy of vascularized islets in larger animal models, while also addressing challenges such as scaling production and preventing immune rejection.

Dr. Ge Li, the study's first author, emphasizes that this method could represent a safe and durable treatment option for the millions affected by type 1 diabetes.

In experiments with diabetic mice, those receiving islets combined with R-VECs not only regained normal body weight but also maintained stable blood glucose levels for at least 20 weeks, suggesting promising long-term engraftment of the islets.

Type 1 diabetes currently impacts approximately nine million people worldwide, characterized by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas.

R-VECs, which are derived from human umbilical vein cells, are particularly effective as they adapt well to transplant conditions and can form new blood vessels, closely mimicking the natural endothelial cells found in islets.

The researchers successfully demonstrated that R-VECs could be transplanted under the skin of mice, providing immediate vascular support that enhances the survival and functionality of the islets.