The Norwegian Experimental Cell Transplantation research group
Group leader
The research group was established at the Institute of Surgical Research in 2005 and has focused on the development of new strategies to counteract the harmful effects of islet cells before transplantation, and to strengthen islet growth and function after transplantation.
Led by Hanne Scholz, PhD, senior scientist and Director of the Human Islet Isolation Facility, the Islet Cell Group has expertise in human pancreatic islet isolation and transplantation, beta-cell replacement, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and diabetes research. The group isolates and prepares donor-derived islets for clinical transplantation and develops strategies to improve islet survival and function. In collaboration with Uppsala University Hospital and Sana Biotechnology, donor islets were engineered and GMP-manufactured at Oslo University Hospital as UP421 for a first-in-human study evaluating whether hypoimmune, insulin-producing islet cells can survive and function after intramuscular transplantation in people with type 1 diabetes without immunosuppressive treatment.
