Grants and Contributions:
Title:
Characterization of human amniotic fluid (HAF) iPSC-derived insulinexpressing pancreatic islets
Agreement Number:
1030622
Agreement Value:
$99,996.00
Agreement Date:
May 27, 2025 - Mar 31, 2026
Description:
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) occurs following autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The promise of a cell-based therapy for T1D was demonstrated over 25 years ago in Edmonton with pancreatic islet transplantation; however, there is still insufficient transplantable material to help everyone living with T1D. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can now be efficiently differentiated to insulin-expressing cells and these stem cell-derived islets (SC islets) are now showing promising results in clinical trials. However, the cell lines used for these trials are not readily available outside of the industrial setting and all of the commonly used ESCs are subject to restrictive user agreements that makes clinical translation difficult and expensive. As such, there is a need for a publicly available and easily commercializable pluripotent stem cell line that could be rapidly used by any lab or company in Canada to generate a cell replacement therapy for T1D. By the end of the project, the team will understand whether a series of 6 iPSC lines generated by the NRC can efficiently form pancreatic islets and if so, which of these is most efficient at making the cells with best islet function.
Organization:
National Research Council Canada
Expected Results:
In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators. In the long term, find collaborative solutions to public policy challenges and create stronger innovation systems.
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia, CA V6T 1Z3
Reference Number:
172-2025-2026-Q1-1030622
Agreement Type:
Grant
Report Type:
Grants and Contributions
Recipient Business Number:
108161779
Recipient Type:
Academia
Recipient's Legal Name:
The University of British Columbia
Federal Riding Name:
Vancouver Quadra
Federal Riding Number:
59040
Program:
Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program - Collaborative R&D Initiatives
Program Purpose:
Collaborate on multiparty research and development programs to catalyze transformative, high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for game-changing scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs in priority areas.
NAICS Code:
541710