# Viacyte heterogeneous Beta cell transplant research project **URL:** \ **Category:** T1 Research\ **Created:** [January 17, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267 "2018-01-17T22:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/1 "2018-01-17T22:22:12Z")
Viacyte, a San Diego company, is pioneering a pilot project with U of Minneapolis and UBC-Vancouver, implanting heterogeneous beta cells issued from embryonic stem cells into patients’ arms: > **[U tests new transplant treatment for Type 1 diabetes](https://www.startribune.com/u-eyes-new-islet-transplant-for-diabetes/466508413/)** > > A leader in transplants of donor islet cells, the University of Minnesota is among first to test new 'off the shelf' source that could accelerate type 1 diabetes treatment. > **[New Cell Therapy for Diabetes Being Tested](https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/new-cell-therapy-for-diabetes-being-tested-296374)** > > The University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health are testing a possible diabetes cure that replaces a person’s damaged pancreatic cells with new ones grown in the lab. > ViaCyte’s approach is to coax stem cells, which came from a human embryo that wasn’t used for in vitro fertilization, to produce immature pancreatic cells. They are then placed in pouches that are implanted in the arms and lower backs of diabetic patients, where the cells then produce islets that are released into the bloodstream. > The company’s first product was a tightly closed pouch designed to prevent the recipients’ immune cells from entering and attacking the transplanted pancreatic cells. That would prevent patients from needing drugs to suppress their immune systems, which can be potent and cause their own severe side effects. > Bellin said this protection seems to cut the donor cells off from access to oxygen and the patients’ bloodstreams, which limits their ability to produce islets. So ViaCyte’s second product — the one the university is testing — is a pouch with small pores to increase the distribution of islets into the blood. > Patients trying this approach do need immunosuppressive drugs, Bellin said, which is why the trial is only for severe cases. In my eyes, the requirement for immuno-suppression in the new MO makes this almost worse than the disease. The good part, though, is that production from stem cells means you don’t need donors anymore: that is a big step forward. ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/3 "2018-01-17T22:55:21Z")
> [@Sam](#): > > the encapsulating membrane protected the implants from immune response and rendered immune suppression unnecessary? My quotes in the original post address this very point. ---
**Author:** ![Katers87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@Katers87](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Katers87)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/4 "2018-01-17T23:11:37Z")
I was really disappointed when Viacyte reported that they weren’t seeing vascularization around the encapsulation devices. Especially since Paul Laikind reported at a JDRF event I attended that they had seen some vascularization. I assume they saw it on a few of the study participants but not consistently. Still, it was disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![Kaelan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/kaelan/32/989_2.png) [@Kaelan](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Kaelan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/5 "2018-01-18T01:15:37Z")
> [@Sam](#): > > the encapsulating membrane protected the implants from immune response and rendered immune suppression unnecessary? > [@Michel](#): > > Bellin said this protection seems to cut the donor cells off from access to oxygen and the patients’ bloodstreams, which limits their ability to produce islets. So ViaCyte’s second product — the one the university is testing — is a pouch with small pores to increase the distribution of islets into the blood. > > Patients trying this approach do need immunosuppressive drugs, Bellin said, which is why the trial is only for severe cases. Because the second trial uses small pores in the pouches that would let the immune system reach the beta cells, I think. Too bad the first trial did not work. ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/6 "2018-01-18T01:30:40Z")
It’s too bad about the immunosuppression! I’d totally drop by UBC and see if I could take part in the trial if not for that… ---
**Author:** ![Katers87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@Katers87](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Katers87)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/7 "2018-01-18T01:47:34Z")
I think clinical trials are still underway for the PEC-Encap, but I don’t know if they’re still recruiting. I think they’re hoping that success with the PEC-Direct will help them refine PEC-Encap. Not sure if that’s realistic or not. ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/8 "2018-01-18T02:28:31Z")
> [@Katers87](#): > > I think clinical trials are still underway for the PEC-Encap, but I don’t know if they’re still recruiting. I think they’re hoping that success with the PEC-Direct will help them refine PEC-Encap. Btw, the direct links for each technology on the company’s web site are: [http://viacyte.com/products/pec-direct/](http://viacyte.com/products/pec-direct/) [http://viacyte.com/products/pec‐encap-vc-01/](http://viacyte.com/products/pec%E2%80%90encap-vc-01/) ---
**Author:** ![Bradford](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/bradford/32/30_2.png) [@Bradford](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Bradford)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/9 "2018-01-18T13:14:55Z")
I’ve been watching this company very closely, but there seems to be a bit of a catch-22. Pores too big, good vascular growth but immune kills the cells. Pores too small, protection against immune system, but little to no vascular growth. I’m curious, does anyone know if they used immune suppression in the mouse models? ---
**Author:** ![Katers87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@Katers87](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Katers87)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/10 "2018-01-18T14:19:20Z")
My understanding was that the mouse trials were conducted with the PEC-Encap and no immunosuppression. These trials were a success. They may have also done mouse trials with the PEC-Direct and immunosuppresion. ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/11 "2018-01-18T18:49:52Z")
3 posts were split to a new topic: [The Cellular Networking, Integration and Processing (CNIP) Project](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-cellular-networking-integration-and-processing-cnip-project/3276) ---
**Author:** ![docslotnick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/docslotnick/32/75_2.png) [@docslotnick](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/docslotnick)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/viacyte-heterogeneous-beta-cell-transplant-research-project/3267/12 "2018-01-18T18:51:47Z")
The cure I am betting on is this: > [@The Cellular Networking, Integration and Processing (CNIP) Project: a potential cure](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-cellular-networking-integration-and-processing-cnip-project/3276/): > > The cure that I’m betting on is the CNIP (Cellular Networking Integration and Processing) model in the works at Syner-III. It involves reprogramming some the patient’s non insulin secreting pancreatic cells to produce insulin. There are no exogenous cells introduced so no immune response. They are currently planning the animal trials, and are looking at starting human trials within about 3 years. [https://www.syner-iii.com](https://www.syner-iii.com) [EDIT] Post split to support thread split.