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Bioartificial Pancreas

Project presentation

THE BIOARTIFICIAL PANCREAS: FROM CONCEPT TO CLINICAL REALITY

The lack of a graft makes the therapeutic approach to pancreatic islet transplantation limited to very few patients. The concept of the bioartificial pancreas aims to apply cell therapy to a greater number of patients by using other sources of cells that secrete insulin (stem cells and genetically modified cells).

The concept rests on an immunoisolation technique that:

  • protects cells in the recipient’s immune system
  • protects the recipient of these cells
  • maximises the function of these cells

To this end, the technique developed by CEED consists in a device for the macro-encapsulation of insulin-secreting cells (MAILPAN®) that is based on a semi-permeable membrane (permeable to insulin, oxygen glucose and other nutriments, but impermeable to the molecules involved in the reject).

schma-diffusion

After over 10 years of development, the project has been transferred to Defymed,  a company whose objective is to develop and market this bioartificial pancreas.

CEED coordinates a European programme entitled BIOSID whose objective is to validate the functionality of this device in the clinic.

For further information: www.defymed.com and www.biosid.com

Key dates

1
1996-2000
BARP program part of the 4th PCRD that enabled the validation of the concept of immunoprotection of islets for encapsulation with artificial semi-permeable membranes.
2
2004-2007
BARP program part of the 6th PCRD that has made it possible to define the system’s materials and validate in animals (pigs) expected functionalities: capability, filling, biocompatibility, implantation.
3
2013-2016
BARP program part of FP7 whose purpose is to validate the functionality of MAILPAN in the clinic