JDRF-funded partner ViaCyte, has for the first time ever implanted a person with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with an experimental encapsulated cell replacement therapy called VC-01™. The person is participating in a trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the VC-01 product candidate, a potential replacement source of insulin-producing cells.
Encapsulated cell replacement therapies have the potential to fundamentally transform the management of T1D by restoring a person’s independence from insulin injections. The stem cell-derived cells are designed to replace a person’s lost insulin-producing ability while being protected from the ongoing T1D autoimmune attack.
This day would not have been possible without Breakthrough T1D-funded years of stem cell research and the insights learned to protect them from the autoimmune attack. Thanks to our many supporters who helped make this historic day a reality. Let’s celebrate what we have together achieved in our fight against T1D, as we look forward to the full enrollment and results from this study which could move us one step closer to discovering a new and effective treatment for T1D. Read more here.
