Mgcini Ndiweni

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Investigating the expression of inflammatory markers in an in vivo islet transplant model

Islet transplantation offers a potential therapeutic treatment for Type 1 Diabetic patients restoring the body’s ability to produce insulin. However, the transplanted cells are exposed to a variety of inflammatory/immune insults that can lead to their destruction and ultimately graft failure. The Shaw group have optimized a rodent model of islet transplantation to decipher the pathways that lead to graft failure. Tissue from archived animal studies will be initially stained to identify the insulin producing cells and once found, further sections from these grafts will be stained to characterize the surrounding inflammatory cells.

 Funding source: Newcastle University