UWMDI Investigator, Dr. Vincenzo Cirulli, MD, PhD and Albert Folch, PhD, Professor of Bioengineering have received an Innovative Pilot Award supported by WA State funds to the ISCRM.

UWMDI Investigator, Dr. Vincenzo Cirulli, MD, PhD and Albert Folch, PhD, Professor of Bioengineering have received an Innovative Pilot Award supported by WA State funds to the ISCRM.

The project will focus on the development of 3D printed gradient generators emulating in vivo-like morphogen gradients to guide stem cell differentiation into functional pancreatic islet cells.
Current protocols for the derivation of pancreatic islet β-cells from stem cells remain relatively inefficient. To help advance the field of islet cell transplantation, the researchers will test a 3D-printed tool known as a Bioengineered Gradient Generator – a technology they anticipate will help scale-up of stem cell seeding and a more efficient differentiation for cell replacement therapies in diabetes. Results will also generate significant preliminary data for a multi-PI R01 project that they plan to submit to the NIH next year.