Giovanni Luca

TL;DR: A phase 1 pilot clinical trial of microencapsulated TX into 10 nonimmunosuppressed patients with type 1 diabetes, under permission and surveillance by the Italian Ministry of Health is initiated.

TL;DR: In vitro drug release studies were performed, showing that all drugs were released in a control manner, and two lipophilic drugs, such as retinyl acetate and progesterone, and one hydrophilic drug, sodium cromoglycate (SCG), were encapsulated in LS as model compounds.

TL;DR: The grafts did not elicit any immune response, even in the cases where more than one preparation was transplanted, as a unique finding, compatible with encapsulation-driven “bioinvisibility” of the grafted islets.

TL;DR: BM-MSCs injected into mice with colitis do not localize to the intestine but instead form aggregates in the peritoneum where they produce immunoregulatory molecules, including TSG6, that reduce intestinal inflammation.

TL;DR: These technical protocols were officially approved by the Italian Ministry of Health which has released permission to conduct a phase I, closed human trial in 10 patients using encapsulated human islet grafts into nonimmunosuppressed patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus with no recipient immunosuppression.