Chief Investigator:

Professor Antonio Ferrante

Funding Amount:

$74,833

Recipient:

SA Pathology

Overview:

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a life-long disease that usually occurs in childhood. We have been researching a recently described receptor, Complement Receptor Immunoglobulin (CRIg) which is selectively expressed on white blood cells involved in induction of autoimmunity and damage to the pancreas (produces insulin). A recent report suggests that CRIg may be a key player in protection against development of diabetes, in an experimental model. We have made the cells rich in CRIg and propose to inject them to protection against T1D, providing a more effective, less toxic and less costly therapy.