Dr. Cherie Stabler and Dr. Benjamin Keselowsky, professors in BME, co-authored the review paper, “Engineering Immunomodulatory Biomaterials for Type 1 Diabetes” recently published in Nature Reviews Materials. Co-authors also include Ying Li, IDP Ph.D. candidate and Josh Stewart, BME Ph.D. candidate.

With their expertise in the prevention and reversal of Type 1 diabetes (T1D), as well as in cell-based therapy to cure this disease, Drs. Stabler and Keselowsky provide a comprehensive summary of the design of biomaterials for modulating the unique immune responses associated with this condition. The development of such materials would address critical challenges in the field, including the complications of the broad delivery of immunosuppressive agents, such as increased opportunistic infections and cancer. Furthermore, it provides a means to target drugs to the site of the immune responses and/or potentially re-instruct immune responses to stop autoimmunity.

The aim of the review is to inspire the next-generation of biomaterials for β-cell replacement and for the induction of tolerogenic immune responses to prevent, delay or reverse the disease