PRIMATE SCIENCE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
June 3, 1999
"Transplanted islet cells and single drug cure diabetic monkeys"

A two-step approach to curing diabetes in monkeys is one step closer to
possibly curing the disease in people, according to reports today via the
New York Times and Reuters news service.

Scientists from the University of Miami and the U.S. Navy report that
transplants of insulin-producing islet cells from other monkeys, combined
with a rejection prevention drug, a manufactured antibody called
anti-CD154, restored insulin production and normal pancreatic function in
six monkeys with removed pancreas glands. The exciting news so far to the
researchers is that one single drug worked along with the transplanted
cells, apparently eliminating the need to  administer the usual "cocktail"
of several anti-rejection drugs.

Continuing experiments will test whether the transplanted cells will
continue to function and thrive without additional anti-CD154
administration.

The researchers hope to replicate this successful experiment in humans, the
New York Times reported, but details of when human trials will begin are as
yet unavailable. The National Institutes of Health and the drug's
manufacturer, Biogen Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., will fund the trials.

Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/science/sci-diabetes-cell.html  (
registration may be required), and http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/990602/bbs.html.

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Reference: Paper including authors N.S. Kenyon and C. Ricordi forthcoming
later this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
which approved early release of paper on June 2, 1999.


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Primate-Science Research Highlights appears every other week and focuses
broadly on research involving non-human primates. Coverage includes
biomedicine, behavior, conservation and veterinary science. Please
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supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health,
National Center for Research Resources.  Copyright 1999,
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center. No portion of this highlight
may be copied or redistributed without the consent of the editor.

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