402.3: Long-term Preservation of Isolated Human, Mouse, Porcine Islets and Human Stem Cell Derived Beta Cells (HUES-8 Cell Lines) Using a High Throughput Vitrification-Rewarming Modified Cryomesh Technique to Successfully Cure Diabetes in a Mouse With Transplantation

Islet transplantation has the potential to cure diabetes & a major barrier is the lack of high-quality islet equivalence when & where they are needed, while single donor infusions are often insufficient to render an allo-recipient insulin independent. We propose to utilize vitrification at ultralow temperature (<-150°C) in an ice-free glassy state as an alternative to conventional cryopreservation to achieve a high viability and functional islet pool for long term storage/banking of islets prior to transplantation.