TheSugarScience Podcast- curating the scientific conversation in type 1 diabetes

Episode 24: Christine Bender, PhD, La Jolla Institute for Immunology

In this episode, Christine Bender joins Monica Westley to discuss her latest research at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in the Von Herrath Laboratory. Her major project focuses on study antigen-specific CD8 T cells, in pancreas from donors with type 1 diabetes and healthy donors. 

Make sure to look out for her new publication coming out soon in Science Advances in October. 

Want to read more about her research? Checkout the following paper linked below.

Islet-Expressed CXCL10 Promotes Autoimmune Destruction of Islet Isografts in Mice With Type 1 Diabetes

Episode 23: Inish O'Doherty, PhD, Executive Director, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Transplant Therapeutics (TTC) Consortium at C-Path

In this episode, Inish O'Doherty joins Monica Westley to discuss his work which focuses on the collaborative selection and development of prognostic biomarkers that can be qualified as Drug Development Tools (DDT) and Novel Methodologies with the FDA and EMA, respectively. Dr. O'Doherty is the Executive Director of C-Path’s Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Transplant Therapeutic Consortium (TTC).

To learn more about the ongoing research at C-Path, click on the link below

C-Path Website

Episode 22: Edward Phelps, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Florida

In this episode, Edward Phelps joins Monica Westley to discuss the ongoing research in his laboratory at the University of Florida. Dr. Phelps’s research focuses on biomaterials engineering as a strategy for regenerative therapies with emphasis in the area of type 1 diabetes. The primary focus of the lab is the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and their diseases with an emphasis on beta cell dysfunction and autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes.

To learn more about research at Phelps Laboratory click on the link below.

Phelps Laboratory

 

Episode 21: Senta Georgia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC

In this episode, Senta Georgia joins Monica Westley to discuss her research at USC. Dr. Georgia's research involves the regeneration of insulin-producing, pancreatic beta cells as a potential therapeutic for patients with type 1 diabetes. Her research on how the enzyme, DNMT1, is critical to stem cells differentiating into pancreatic beta cells was featured on the cover of the journal Genes & Development.

To learn more about Dr. Georgia's research and the ongoing research in her lab click on the link below.

Georgia Lab

Episode 20: Peter Thompson, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba

In this episode, Peter Thompson joins Monica Westley to discuss his research in the type 1 diabetes space. Dr. Thompson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba and his research focuses on investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms operating in pancreatic beta cells to understand how and why this disease occurs. 

Dr. Thompson- "There is some really exciting work coming out, particularly with relevance to the roll of the beta cell in type 1. In particular, it is really becoming clear that beta cells are not simply dying in type 1, they are becoming dysfunctional. This really opens up a whole new avenue to explore." 

Episode 19: Ekaterine Berishvili MD, PhD, Senior Scientist at University of Geneva

In this episode, Ekaterine Berishvili joins Monica Westley to discuss her research at the University of Geneva. Dr. Berishvili's research is currently focused on the bioengineering of vascularized and immune-protected bioartificial pancreas that can be transplanted into non-immunosuppressed patients.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Berishvili's research? Clink on the link below for one of her recent publications.

Immunomodulatory Properties of Amniotic Membrane Derivatives and Their Potential in Regenerative Medicine

Episode 18: Kevin Otto, PhD, Professor at University of Florida

In this episode, Kevin Otto joins Monica Westley to discuss his research at The Neuroprostheses Research Lab at the University of Florida. Dr. Otto's research focuses on engineering neural interfaces for both research purposes as well as treatment options in neurological injuries or disease.

Dr. Otto- "Eventual reinnervation can definitely lead to regeneration if the end target has a regeneration capability and so I think that there is a lot of intriguing harmony in that overall thinking. Innervation not only provides some input and provides a lot of output, but it also provides an addressing link- a reason to go forward."

Episode 17: Alejandro Caicedo, PhD, Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

In this episode, Alejandro Caicedo joins Monica Westley to discuss his research in the type 1 diabetes space. Dr. Caicedo's research focuses on the biology of human islets and how the islets interact with the environment.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Caicedo's research?

Checkout the following published articles:

1) The Local Paracrine Actions of the Pancreatic α-Cell

2) Secretory Functions of Macrophages in the Human Pancreatic Islet Are Regulated by Endogenous Purinergic Signaling

3) Paracrine Interactions within the Pancreatic Islet Determine the Glycemic Set Point

4) The Pericyte of the Pancreatic Islet Regulates Capillary Diameter and Local Blood Flow

Episode 16: Giuseppe Orlando, MD, PhD, Marie Curie Fellow, Associate Professor at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine

In this episode, Dr. Giuseppe Orlando joins Monica Westley to discuss his interest in type 1 diabetes and strategies for pancreas transplantation. Dr. Orlando is a kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Orlando- "The problem of using the whole pancreas as a scaffold actually entails the same problems that full organ bioengineering puts us in front of. Which is that we can't replicate the vasculature of an organ. Research is shifting towards to a different approach, you still decellularize the whole organ but then you chop the organ and convert the extracellular matrix into a hydrogel."

Episode 15: Antonio Citro, PhD, Project Leader of Pancreas by Engineering at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), Milan

In this episode, Antonio Citro joins Monica Westley to discuss his research at the Diabetes Research Institute in Milan, Italy. Dr. Citro provides insights to his journey as a researcher and what he is currently working on in the type 1 diabetes space.

 

Dr. Citro- "I think a possible solution to protecting the newly implanted islet is gene editing or the modulation of the scaffold."