DRWF-UK fait un don de 1,2 million de livres sterling au Consortium de la transplantation d’îlots à Oxford, Royaume Uni

Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation recently granted an unprecedented £1.2million to islet transplantation research. The award, the largest of its kind in the UK, was made to the Oxford Consortium for Islet Transplantation (OXCIT), whose highly regarded team of researchers is spearheading the search for a cure.

Housed in the new state-of-the-art Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism (OCDEM), a new islet isolation facility will be built with the donation from DRWF. The OCDEM project, brainchild of the late Professor Robert Turner and Professor David Matthews, heralds a new concept in research and care. The development was only possible thanks to the unique partnership formed by the University of Oxford, the NHS and leaders in diabetes care from private industry. At the official launch of the OCDEM on 11 September 2003, the grant from DRWF was described as the "jewel in the crown."

Central to the OCDEM design is a large, bright atrium for patients to wait to see the doctors, nurses, dieticians and other support staff based in the centre. Surrounding the atrium are the clinical, research and teaching wings. This design means the person with diabetes is always the focus of attention, constantly reminding the 70 scientists working in the building of their ultimate goal: to find a cure for diabetes.

At the launch, Professor Matthews confidently predicted that "we will have a cure for diabetes by 2015." As reported in the August 2003 issue of Diabetes Wellness News, many experts believe islet transplantation holds the key to a successful cure. The procedure involves isolating the insulin-producing Islet of Langerhans cells from a donor pancreas and transplanting them into the liver of a person with diabetes.

The early results of trials in Edmonton, Canada, have already shown that following a successful transplantation, people with Type 1 diabetes can survive without insulin injections. However, researchers are quick to concede that there is still a long way to go before this treatment is widely available to all patients with diabetes. Mr Paul Johnson, Director of the OXCIT, explained that there are still a number of obstacles to overcome, but he is optimistic about the future. "With continued financial support such as this, we are confident that the obstacles facing us now will be overcome in the foreseeable future," he said. "We are delighted by the support DRWF has given our work and are excited by the opportunity it gives us to advance this line of research."

DRWF Executive Director James Rogers expressed his delight at collaborating with such a prestigious institution, commenting, "This is a major step forward for DRWF and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Oxford."

Mr Rogers went on to emphasise that it is only thanks to the generous donations received from DRWF supporters that the charity is able to make such contributions to research. He added, "We have now committed more than £2m to research in the UK in just five years. This is a fantastic achievement and we are hopeful that with the continued support of our donors we will be in a position to finance even more vital research work over the coming years."

Photo : Le Président du conseil d’administration, Mr. W.M. Gretschel avec le professeur Sir Peter Morris et Mr. P. Johnson lors de la cérémonie de remise au Rosemary Iacoviello Islet Isolation Laboratory en juin 2003.  Etaient également présentes, les filles de Mme Rosemary Iacoviello, Amanda et Andrea.