Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a major global health concern, particularly affecting children, where it represents 5–10% of all diabetes cases. T1DM is characterized by an autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, resulting in absolute insulin deficiency. Patients depend on lifelong exogenous insulin therapy and must continually monitor their blood glucose to prevent serious complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, disability, and premature death. Despite advancements, including novel insulin formulations and automated insulin delivery systems, current treatments cannot truly replicate the physiological insulin secretion of healthy β-cells. As a result, full glycaemic control remains challenging, and patients remain at risk of acute and chronic complications, including life-threatening episodes of hypoglycaemia.
Restoration of endogenous pancreatic function can be achieved in a minority of cases through whole pancreas or islet transplantation. However, these approaches are limited by severe hurdles: scarcity of donor organs, variable post-transplant engraftment, hypoxia-induced cell loss, and significant surgical risks. Furthermore, chronic immunosuppression is required to prevent graft rejection, exposing patients to significant long-term risks, even as anti-inflammatory regimens improve.
Our innovative platform, UNIINK, addresses these unmet needs in cell therapy for T1DM. UNIINK enables rapid, sterile, and operator-independent fabrication of 3D bioprinted micro-spheroids—up to 80 spheroids per minute, each containing up to 3 million B cells, allowing normoglycemia restoration in T1DM patients.
