| March
2003
Another
grant was presented to Professor Sir Robert Elliott of Diatranz
this month in honor of John Bud Lambdin, Brenda Hitchcock's father,
for $10,000, making the total awarded by our foundation to date
$90,000.
Thanks
to your donations, we are closer every day. Below is an excerpt
from a statement provided by Dr. Elliott.
Diatranz
Overview of the science, technology and future
Aim: To restore health by the use of live cell transplants
Current Specifics:
1) Correction of the cause of diabetes (absolute or relative insulin
lack) by transplanting new insulin producing cells purified from
newborn pigs
2) Extending these successful between-species transplants using
other cells in other diseases - e.g. choroid plexus in Alzheimer's
disease
1) Pig insulin producing
cells in diabetes
Functional groups of these cells ("islets") are purified
from seven day old piglets which come from a certified high health
herd ("SPF"). NZ pigs are uniquely free of many diseases
found elsewhere in the world.
The production of these
cells is carried out in a "GMP" certified sterile facility
by a patented process which additionally requires unpatented know
how. These cells are first examined by an expert team to make sure
they cannot transfer any pig diseases to humans. This virus technology
has been developed in house - the science is very strong. The cells
are then injected into diabetics who need insulin injections to
survive. 18 patients have been so injected.
4 - into the abdominal
cavity using both nicotinamide and a casein (A1) free diet to avoid
rejection
Result - partial function for up to 14 weeks
2 - into the abdominal cavity using coating of the islets with a
semi-permeable membrane (alginate) - the nicotinamide and diet
Result - partial function up to 24 months
12- into a special vascularised device implanted under the skin.
Cotransplantation of "nursery cells" to prevent rejection
+ nicotinamide and diet
Result - major function in three for over one year - will
come off insulin.
Much improvement of the
cell production and rejection avoidance techniques has been accomplished
and we reasonably expect better results from the above "proof
of concept".
New trials in Italy (alginate
coatings) and Mexico (device) will be underway well before the end
of this year. These will involve 24 and 12 patients respectively.
I anticipate much better results than with earlier prototypes. Trials
will also be undertaken in the USA depending on the development
of an alternative cell coating system (Vanderbuilt University).
We should have a marketable system within 18 -30 months. The market
is immense - 130 million diabetics. The cost/lifetime to treat
a diabetic is about one million dollars with orthodox treatment
- which prolongs life up to about 70% of normal expectancy only,
and does not prevent awful complications (blindness, lib amputation,
kidney failure, etc.)
 Click
here to see more research updates
Click
here to go to Diatranz
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