TERMIS 2021 | Bio-engineering vascularized islet organs for T1D

Lorenzo Piemonti, MD, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, describes advancements in the field of β cell replacement in Type 1 diabetes. Translation of β cells from an in vitro to in vivo environment has been a major hurdle, due to the loss of cell mass during engraftment and immunogenicity. Ex vivo vascularized islet organs (VIOs) aims to overcome these issues, and consist of an engraftable decellularized lung scaffold containing endocrine cells. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).