Recent HIRN Publication: Humanized Mouse Model of Fibrosis

Biomedical devices comprise a major component of modern medicine. However, immune mediated fibrosis and rejection can limit their function over time. Although mouse models of fibrosis such as the immunocompetent C57BL/6 strain can generate robust fibrotic responses to implanted devices, murine and human immune systems can differ greatly and results in mice do not always translate to humans. The fibrotic response observed in non-human primates resembles that observed in humans, but this model carries with it financial and ethical concerns. Doloff et al have now developed a small animal model of fibrosis using human immune system engrafted immunodeficient mice, i.e., “humanized mice”. This small animal model recapitulates the cellular and molecular fibrotic response observed in humans. These humanized mice can be used to investigate the mechanisms of the human fibrotic response and approaches to ameliorate the response. Moreover, this model can be used to test human specific therapies that cannot be tested in immunocompetent mice.

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2023 Gateway Award Recipients

Please join us in Congratulating the newly funded 2023 NIH NIDDK HIRN Gateway Investigators. This initiative is designed to support a robust pipeline of innovative projects and talented new investigators in T1D research.

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Year 5 & Year 6 Executive Summary Report

The HIRN Year 5 & Year 6 Executive Summary Report is now available online! The report reflects significant HIRN breakthroughs, developments and advancements across the entire network. This 2-year report reflects activity from October 2018 through September 2020.

Cover Image: Dan Huh, Univ. Pennsylvania, CHIB Stanger UG3. A cross-sectional view of a vascularized three-dimensional biomimetic device visualized by scanning electron microscopy. A micro-capillary is seen in cross-section along with a functional pericyte (upper right) and surrounding matrix.

 

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HIRN Funding Opportunities

    • NIDDK Catalyst Award (RFA-DK-23-014) Due: September 29, 2023
    • Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (RFA-DK-22-037)
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HUMAN ISLET RESEARCH NETWORK MISSION

To better understand how human beta cells are lost in Type 1 Diabetes and to find innovative strategies to protect or replace functional beta cell mass in diabetic patients.

Our Research

Supporting Collaborative Research since 2014

The Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) was established in 2014 to help organize and support collaborative research related to the loss of functional beta cell mass in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The project consists of five independent research initiatives.

Research Resources

Latest News

Treg 4S

HIRN Webinar: “A Roadmap to Restoring Tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes: CAR Tregs & Beyond”

  Click HERE to access the YouTube video of the recording. Thursday, August 24, 2023 (1:00 pm Eastern / 10:00 am Pacific) Topics discussed: What role do Tregs play in type 1…

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New_Projects

New Awards from RFA-22-009: HIRN Consortium on Targeting and Regeneration (CTAR)

Developing A Platform Technology For β-Cell-Targeted Drug Delivery Justin Pierce Annes*, MD, PhD, Stanford University (U01 DK136965)   Development of platforms for beta cell-specific delivery and ligand discovery Amit Choudhary*,…

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2023.07 July RNA Processing in Metabolic Tissues

HIRN Webinar: “RNA Process in Metabolic Tissues”

Click HERE to access the YouTube video of the recording. Wednesday, July 12, 2023 (1:00 pm Eastern / 10:00 am Pacific)   Topics Discussed: Introduction: RNA processing is an important layer of…

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Consortia

Independent Research Initiatives

Consortium on Beta Cell Death and Survival

CBDS is using human pancreatic tissues to discover mechanisms of cellular stress or dysfunction that may contribute to the development of autoimmunity in at-risk individuals, to identify specific biomarkers of the asymptomatic phase of T1D, and to develop innovative strategies to stop beta cell destruction early in the disease process.

Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics

CHIB is combining advances in beta cell biology and stem cell biology with tissue engineering technologies to develop microdevices that support functional human islets.

Consortium on Modeling Autoimmune Interactions

The CMAI is developing innovative approaches to model basic aspects of human T1D immunobiology using novel in vivo and in vitro platforms.

Consortium on Targeting and Regeneration

CTAR is investigating methods to increase or maintain functional beta cell mass in T1D through targeted manipulation of islet plasticity or engineered protection of beta cells from immune-mediated destruction.

Human Pancreas Analysis Consortium

The Human Pancreas Analysis Consortium (HPAC) is investigating the physical and functional organization of the human islet tissue environment, the cell-cell relationships within the pancreatic tissue ecosystem, and the contributions of non-endocrine components (acinar, ductal, vascular, perivascular, neuronal, lymphatic, immune) to islet cell function and dysfunction.

HIRN-OPP

Opportunity Pool Projects

The Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) was established In 2014 to help organize and support collaborative research related to the loss of functional beta cell mass in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The project consists of five independent research initiatives.

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