Last year, the team did its first stem cell transplant trial in conjunction with Viacyte in San Diego. The California team prepared the cells in an immuno-isolation device to allow them to be transplanted with few, or no, anti-rejection drugs.
“We’ve learned a lot so far,” says Shapiro. “We’ve learned that after three months the cells are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. They turn into insulin-producing cells. This is a first in human trial and it’s designed to show that it’s safe.”
In February, just two days after they received Health Canada approval to begin human trials, Shapiro’s team treated the first patient. “This really illustrates how fast we can move in Edmonton from the bench to the first trials,” says Shapiro. “That’s the beauty of working in Edmonton. We can move forward very quickly in that kind of
fashion.”
He says it has taken
a long time to
receive full
approvals from
Health Canada and
the ethics board, as
well as waiting for
the drugs to start
arriving.
“We’re going to
begin with adults
and move to
children. We’ll be
looking to find
patients to enter this exciting trial.”
The Edmonton team is also looking at using IPS Technology, or personalized stem cell therapy.
“This is a personalized medicine approach, which I think in the future will make a big difference across all areas of medicine. The idea here is that we can take any cell and we can expand it, regenerate it back into islets, or nerves, perhaps nerve transplant trials or muscle or heart or whatever it is it to be using regenerative medicine.”
For patients like Cole Byers, now 14, dreaming of the day when diabetes can be cured, Shapiro has some encouraging words.
“An ultimate cure is within our grasp. I see that very clearly will happen within our time. It needs research ideas, it needs funding. We can’t do any of this kind of work without funding to be able to drive it forward. And then we need a team of dedicated individuals who have the time, effort and teamwork and the will to accelerate the process so that we can deliver treatment for you tomorrow that you so desperately need.”
Shapiro’s goal is to
raise $10 million in
five years. Cole
Byers is doing his
bit. He’s constantly
raising money for
the Diabetes
Research Institute
Foundation Canada,
or DRIFCan, whose
sole purpose is to
fund Shapiro’s
research.
Cole’s efforts have
paid off: He has
already raised a
whopping $100,000 for diabetes research.
On November 9, National Philanthropy Day, DRIFCan will recognize Cole with a Youth Volunteer award at a ceremony at the Winspear Centre.