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Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation | ||||
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Mission Statement
The Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation is founded by the Lions Clubs of Minnesota and their dedicated volunteer members who are strongly committed to improving the lives of people with diabetes by raising funds and collaborating partners to do diabetes research, diabetes education, and sponsor preventative health activities that provide a caring and valued community service while helping to find a cure for diabetes.
Partners
U of M Schulze Diabetes Institute
- Vision: To accelerate the availability and affordability of islet transplantation to cure diabetes with minimal or no immune suppression.
- They have performed the first...
Human-to-Human islet transplantation
Auto islet transplant
Living-Donor pancreas transplant
Unrelated living donor transplant
Reversal of Diabetes in 12 monkeys by transplanting islet cells from pigs
- Progress to Date:
Since 2000 They have completed 4 islet transplant trials with individuals who have type 1 diabetes with the following post-transplant results:
- 90% of recipients have become insulin independent.
- 50+% have maintained insulin independence for at least 5 years.
- 100% obtained immediate protection from hypoglycemia.
- 80% remain protected from hypoglycemia after 5 years.
- 0% have experienced serious, unexpected adverse effects.
Sprint Point Project
Spring Point Project is producing a sufficient supply of pigs to serve as islet donors for diabetic patients ultimately leading to a cure for diabetes.
Founded in Minnesota in 2004, Spring Point Project was born out of a grassroots effort to help make porcine islet transplantation a viable solution for diabetes patients in particular, the tens of thousands of people with difficult to manage diabetes. Its nonprofit status brings stability and control over all aspects of the project, and fits with the goal of bringing unprecedented research data toward a clinical application in a speedy and cost-effective manner.
Pigs on the Move
Spring Point and the Lions are working together to prepare a Lions Club International Foundation grant to fund a dedicated Spring Point Project animal transport vehicle. In the past, we've contracted out their animal transport service. However, now that they are fully populated and working with the University of Minnesota to supply all of their ongoing studies (including the final preclinical study). The time has come to bring this capacity in-house. They are working with the Lions to fund a vehicle to safely and humanely transport their animals. The vehicle must be inspected and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. It must be able to be completely cleaned and disinfected. It must be temperature and humidity controlled with an air filtration system dedicated to animal transport. They are hoping to fund this addition in a timely manner and, at the same time, provide the Lions with recognition for our on going support.