The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Harvard Medical School have formed the new JDF Center for Islet Cell Transplantation to search for a cure for type 1 diabetes.
The foundation plans to provide about $20 million over the next five years to a multidisciplinary group of 32 researchers that includes Harvard faculty from seven affiliated institutions. The initial $5 million in funding comes from the Florence DeGeorge Islet Research Challenge Grant, which was provided by the DeGeorge family foundation.
"We at JDF are proud to see our dream of successful islet cell transplantation without immunosuppression put on the fast track," said John J. McDonough, JDF's chairman of the board.
According to JDF, key gaps in knowledge about diabetes were identified last year when a JDF task force mapped out what was known about the disease, the current state of diabetes-related research, and its founders' main goal of finding a cure in their children's lifetime. High priority areas for the new center include islet transplantation, tolerance induction, autoimmunity, and expansion of the islet cell supply.
"Our concern has always been to accelerate a cure for this devastating disease through islet cell research. We believe that the initiative with the Harvard Medical School and associated researchers points the way in accelerating islet cell research and transplantation as a potential way of accomplishing our goal," said Lawrence DeGeorge.
For Your Information:
JDF news release
http://www.jdfcure.org/pubinfo/news091098.html
Please be aware that medical advice, diagnoses and physician references cannot be obtained from this site.