 |
| |
| Media contacts: Holly Korschun, 404/727-3990, hkorsch@emory.edu Ron Sauder, 404/727-3366, rsauder@emory.edu |
|
ATLANTA -- The Delta Air Lines Foundation is donating $100,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for Islet Transplantation at Emory University as part of the Foundation’s Youth Wellness initiative. Of the more than 1 million Americans who have Type 1 diabetes, most are diagnosed in childhood. Islet cell transplantation is one of the most promising new avenues of research in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. Initial studies demonstrate that the transplantation of islet (insulin-producing) cells from donor pancreases may restore normal insulin production in people with Type 1 diabetes. Problems still exist, however, with the drugs that prevent rejection of donor cells by patients’ immune systems. The Emory Center, funded in April 2002 with a $4.1 million grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation over three years, is working to address this important issue and to reduce the need for strong immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. The Center is only one of a handful of such programs in the world. "The Delta Air Lines Foundation is pleased to help advance the work of the Center for Islet Transplantation. We are excited by the promise this new treatment holds for the millions worldwide who have Type 1 diabetes, and particularly for the young people who today face a lifetime of health complications from this disease," said Michael Young, vice president of the Foundation. ATLANTA -- The Delta Air Lines Foundation is donating $100,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for Islet Transplantation at Emory University as part of the Foundation’s Youth Wellness initiative. Of the more than 1 million Americans who have Type 1 diabetes, most are diagnosed in childhood. Islet cell transplantation is one of the most promising new avenues of research in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. Initial studies demonstrate that the transplantation of islet (insulin-producing) cells from donor pancreases may restore normal insulin production in people with Type 1 diabetes. Problems still exist, however, with the drugs that prevent rejection of donor cells by patients’ immune systems. The Emory Center, funded in April 2002 with a $4.1 million grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation over three years, is working to address this important issue and to reduce the need for strong immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. The Center is only one of a handful of such programs in the world. "The Delta Air Lines Foundation is pleased to help advance the work of the Center for Islet Transplantation. We are excited by the promise this new treatment holds for the millions worldwide who have Type 1 diabetes, and particularly for the young people who today face a lifetime of health complications from this disease," said Michael Young, vice president of the Foundation. |