Islet Transplantation Research Progresses

Qizhi Tang, PhD, a Diabetes Center faculty member and Associate Professor of Surgery, is focused on improving islet transplantation, a minimally invasive procedure that has the potential to cure type 1 diabetes. Tremendous progress has been made in the past two decades to transform this treatment from an experimental concept to a clinical reality. However, two main obstacles preclude the wider application of this treatment to patients with type 1 diabetes – the need for long-term immunosuppression and the shortage of transplantable islets.

The Tang Lab is moving forward in tackling both of these challenges. Recent progress may be found at this link.