Description: Itkin-Ansari Lab's mission is to develop novel therapeutic approaches to treating diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
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Diabetes :
The lab is a leader in transplantation therapies for diabetes based upon shielding newly developed human insulin producing cells from the immune system. This approach has now reached clinical trials and we continue to develop technology to improve the process.
A second area of investigation in the lab is in preserving islet cell health by mitigating diabetes induced cell stress. In the diabetic setting, insulin producing cells attempt to compensate for increased insulin demands, but this can lead to accumulation of misfolded proteins and cell death. We are investigating proteins which interact with insulin to promote efficient protein folding and preserve islet health.