3D printed NICHE shows potential to treat Type 1 diabetes

In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Houston Methodist delivered islet cells and immunotherapy directly into NICHE, a 3D printed device analogous to a bioengineered pancreas. The treatment is said to have restored healthy glucose levels and eliminated Type 1 diabetes symptoms in animal models for over 150 days while avoiding severe adverse effects of anti-rejection therapy by administering immunosuppressive drugs where the transplanted islet cells were located.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction that destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Regular insulin injections are the most conventional treatment but attaining close control of glucose levels remains challenging and cumbersome for patients. In more severe cases, patients may need pancreas and kidney transplants, or they may qualify for an islet cell transplant, where the islet cells of a deceased pancreas donor are harvested, processed and then transplanted into the Type 1 diabetes patient’s liver.