Uniink: A new 3D bioprinted cell therapy approach for Type 1 diabetes
Javier Ramón Azcón, an ICREA research professor and the leader of the Biosensors for Bioengineering group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has been granted an "ERC Proof of Concept Grant." This prestigious grant is awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) and aims to explore the commercial and societal potential of research projects that have been previously funded by the ERC.
Ramón's project has been named "Uniink" and centers around the treatment of Type 1 diabetes using cell therapy and 3D bioprinting.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the immune system itself destroys the β cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin.
An alternative to the well-known insulin injections, which do not offer such a dynamic response to fluctuations in glucose levels, is cell therapy.Despite being an effective treatment with numerous benefits, its widespread application faces challenges due to the difficulty in finding compatible donors and the necessity for immunosuppressing the recipient.
Uniink is presented as an evolution of this type of therapy. The project introduces an innovative 3D bioprinting method for manufacturing substantial quantities of biocompatible microspheres loaded with cells that can secrete insulin in response to external glucose signals. The incorporation of physical barriers, such as encapsulation, serves to shield the transplanted cells from the host's immune system. This approach holds the potential to facilitate graft recovery and restore the natural regulation of glucose levels.
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