Dr. Lacík:Diasolve Project for Advanced Polymer Technologies in Biomedicine Receives Funding

The CDP is proud to announce that Dr. Igor Lacík, Head of the Department of Special Polymers and Biopolymers at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, has received funding support from the Slovak Research and Development Agency. Dr. Lacík will receive a total of €249,000 ($349,000 USD) in order to improve microcapsule technology and collaborate with the Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology at Trondheim, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The purpose of the funding focuses on the Diasolve Project, which deals with the preparation of novel microcapsules with semipermeable properties specifically for the encapsulation of pancreatic islets.  Microcapsules provide an immunoprotection to islets after their transplantation into diabetic patients, which enables them to function and release insulin in a physiological manner according to actual instaneous changes in blood glucose.  Preparation of new microcapsules is based on previous experience and cooperation with project partners.  The subject of this project are polyelectrolyte microcapsules, which are tolerated under in vivo conditions in various animals models.  Recent ex vivo whole blood assays have shown, however, that these microcapsules may stimulate the human immune system.  Therefore, the Diasolve Project will be primarily focused toward improving the biocompatiblity of these microcapsules using modern principles of polymer chemistry by incorporation of functional polymers with proven biocompatibility properties.  The preparation of novel microcapsules will be associated with characterization of polymers, their mutual interactions important for the microcapsule formation, characterization of physico-chemical properties of microcapsules and their testing under in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo conditions.  The Diasolve Project will result in microcapsules suitable for preclinical evaluation with the perspective of their application in clinical transplantation of encapsulated
human pancreatic islets for diabetes treatment.