Ekaterine Berishvili – VJRegenMed

Developing the bioartificial pancreas

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:47:29 +0000

Ekaterine Berishvili, MD, PhD, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, describes ongoing research towards the development of the bioartificial pancreas for the treatment of type I diabetes, through the use of a range of tissue engineering, immune modulation and genome editing strategies. Given their immunomodulatory characteristics, he discusses strategies under investigation that utilize placental derivatives, as well as the development of placenta extracellular matrix-based biomaterials. The generation and transplantation of insulin-secreting organoids into a diabetic mouse model demonstrated successful engraftment, vascularization and therapeutic benefit. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.

Tackling remaining obstacles to cell therapy for type I diabetes

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:47:28 +0000

Ekaterine Berishvili, MD, PhD, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, discusses the key challenges associated with the development of cell-based therapies for type I diabetes. There is currently an insufficient number of cell donors to meet the high demand of patients with type I diabetes that require treatment. Dr Berishvili proposes expanding the cell pool through the transdifferentiation and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to insulin-producing beta cells, however, notes that this would not necessarily allow the generation of functional islets, given their complexity. Key remaining challenges include recapitulating islet anatomy and function, as well as achieving protection from the host immune system to avoid rejection upon transplantation. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.

The future of cell-based therapies for type 1 diabetes

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 07:54:05 +0000

Ekaterine Berishvili, MD, PhD, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, discusses the current landscape of cell-based therapies for type I diabetes (T1D) and the future directions of the field. Currently, the most widely used cell-based therapy for T1D is islet transplantation, however, Dr Berishvili indicates that the requirement for several cell donors and lifelong immunosuppression calls for alternative cell-based therapies. She describes new avenues under investigation including the transplantation of stem cell-derived β cells to patients with T1D, as well as promise around the generation of the bioartificial endocrine pancreas and its curative potential. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.