Islet Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes

Islet Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetic Patients Using the Edmonton Protocol of Steroid Free Immunosuppression (ITN005CT)

The purpose of this study is to test whether the islet cell transplantation procedures and results from a previous study in Edmonton, Canada, can be repeated. The study also is designed to learn more about diabetes control using islet cell transplantation.

This is a Phase I/II study (a study that examines effectiveness and looks for side effects). The transplanting of islet cells has been studied in Type 1 diabetic patients whose blood sugar levels will not stay normal, despite intensive insulin therapy. A recent study conducted in Edmonton, Canada, was able to demonstrate that islet transplantation led to insulin independence in a majority of the patients treated. This study extends the results obtained from the Edmonton study, which used islet transplantation in Type 1 diabetic patients with steroid-free immunosuppression.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

This is a Phase I/II study (a study that examines effectiveness and looks for side effects). The transplanting of islet cells has been studied in Type 1 diabetic patients whose blood sugar levels will not stay normal, despite intensive insulin therapy. A recent study conducted in Edmonton, Canada, was able to demonstrate that islet transplantation led to insulin independence in a majority of the patients treated. This study extends the results obtained from the Edmonton study, which used islet transplantation in Type 1 diabetic patients with steroid-free immunosuppression.

Eligible patients were randomly selected from the total pool of people who applied through the Immune Tolerance Network. Patients will receive at least 10,000 "islet equivalents" per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. This likely will require 2 separate islet infusions from 2 separate donors. Immediately before the first transplant, patients will be given anti-rejection (immune suppressing) drugs, including tacrolimus and sirolimus (orally) and daclizumab (intravenously). The islets will be infused into the liver through a tube placed in the portal vein. Heparin (a medication to prevent blood clots) will be administered with the islet infusion. A longer-acting form of heparin will also be given by daily injections during the next week after each transplant. After surgery, patients will receive insulin intravenously for 24 hours. Patients will have an abdominal ultrasound and blood tests to determine liver function. If fewer than 10,000 islets were transplanted, patients will continue insulin treatment, with the dosages adjusted if necessary to account for the transplanted islets. They will take daclizumab every 2 weeks for 8 weeks and tacrolimus and sirolimus daily. Patients will be given antibiotics to prevent infections. Blood tests to determine how much immunosuppressant drug is in the blood will be performed until the drug is at a stable level. Periodically there will be tests to see if the islet cells are functioning. Blood will be drawn to check drug levels and for other tests routinely. Daily insulin requirements will be checked, and these will be recorded monthly. Patients will be followed for at least 1 year post last islet transplantation. Additional follow-up may be provided at least annually for up to 9 years post first transplantation.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

36

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Alberta
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
        • University of Alberta
      • Giessen, Germany, 35385
        • Justus-Leibig University
      • Milan, Italy
        • University of Milan
      • Geneva, Switzerland
        • University of Geneva
    • Florida
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
        • University of Miami
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital
    • Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
        • University of Minnesota
    • Missouri
      • St. Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98101
        • Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason Research Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Patients may be eligible for this study if they:

  • Have had Type 1 diabetes mellitus for more than 5 years, and are exhibiting 1 of the following, despite intensive insulin management efforts: a) hypoglycemic unawareness, as defined by inability to sense hypoglycemia until the blood glucose falls to less than 54 mg/dL; b) metabolic instability, with 2 or more episodes of severe hypoglycemia (defined as an event with symptoms consistent with hypoglycemia in which the patient requires the assistance of another person and which is associated with a blood glucose below 54 mg/dL) or 2 or more hospital visits for diabetic ketoacidosis over the last year; or c) despite efforts at optimal glucose control, progressive secondary complications of diabetes as defined by retinopathy, nephropathy, or neuropathy.
  • Are 18 to 65 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will not be eligible for this study if they:

  • Have had severe cardiac disease as defined by: a) recent myocardial infarction within the past 6 months; b) angiographic evidence of non-correctable coronary artery disease; or c) evidence of ischemia on a functional cardiac exam.
  • Actively abuse alcohol or substances, including cigarette smoking (must not have smoked within the last 6 months).
  • Have psychiatric problems that prevent them from being a suitable candidate for transplantation (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression that is not controlled or stable on current medication).
  • Have a history of not following prescribed regimens.
  • Have active infection including hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or Tuberculosis (TB) (or under treatment for suspected TB).
  • Have a history of malignancy, except squamous or basal skin cancer.
  • Weigh more than 70 kilograms or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 26 kg/m^2 at time of screening.
  • Have a C-peptide value of 0.3 ng/ml or more following a 5.0 gram intravenous arginine infusion challenge.
  • Are unable to provide informed consent.
  • Have gallstones or hemangioma in liver.
  • Have untreated proliferative retinopathy.
  • Are breast-feeding or pregnant, or intend to try and become pregnant (females) or to father a child (males), or fail to follow birth control methods.
  • Have had a previous transplant, or evidence of anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody.
  • Have an insulin requirement of more that 0.7 International Units (IU)/kilograms/day.
  • Have a blood glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) higher than 12 percent.
  • Are unable to reach the hospital for transplantation within 2 hours of notification.
  • Have untreated or treated hyperlipidemia.
  • Have a medical condition requiring chronic use of steroids.
  • Use coumadin or other anticoagulants (aspirin is allowed).
  • Have Addison's disease.
  • Have a negative screen for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Islet Transplantation
All study participants
Participants will receive portal vein islet infusions (up to 3), e.g., islet transplantations, with a targeted total of exceeding 10,000 islet equivalents per kilogram of body weight (IE/kg) per infusion. Up to three transplants are possible depending on individual results.
Administered at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg by mouth once pre-transplantation then 0.1 mg/kg daily post-transplantation. Dosing will be adjusted to achieve a trough peripheral blood level of 12-15 ng/mL x3 months after transplantation and 7-12 ng/mL for the remainder of the study.
Administered at a dose of 1 mg by mouth once pre-transplantation followed by 1 mg twice daily post transplantation. Levels will be adjusted to achieve a peripheral blood trough level of 3-6 ng/mL for maintenance immunosuppression.
Administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg intravenously immediately pre-transplantation and 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-transplantation, totaling 5 doses(over 8 weeks). Further daclizumab dosing may be necessary based on individual results and islet transplantation needs.
An antibacterial used to prevent opportunistic infections
An antiviral used to kill viruses and stop viral replication
An antibacterial used to prevent opportunistic infections
An antiprotozoal used to prevent disease

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percent of Participants That Achieved Insulin Independence With Adequate Control of Blood Glucose Levels at One Year Post Final Islet Transplantation.
Time Frame: One year status post participant receipt of final islet transplantation
Insulin independence: exogenous insulin not required and glycemic control is achieved as defined by maintaining 1.) a blood glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level < 6.5% (Normal:<5.7%; pre-diabetes: 5.7% -6.4%; diabetes: 6.5% or higher),2) a blood glucose level after an overnight fast not exceeding 140 mg per deciliter (dL) more than three times in any week (Normal: 70 to 120 mg/dL), and 3)not exceeding a 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level of 180 mg/dL more than four times per week (Normal: <140mg/dL if <=50 years of age, <150 mg/dL for ages 50-60 years and <160 mg/dL for ages 60+)
One year status post participant receipt of final islet transplantation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percent of Participants With Partial Islet Function One Year Post Final Islet Transplantation.
Time Frame: One year post receipt of final islet transplantation
Partial islet function definition: a fasting basal C-peptide level >= 0.3 ng/mL and a continuing need for insulin or suboptimal glycemic control (Note: C-peptide is a substance that the pancreas releases into the bloodstream in equal amounts to insulin, thereby showing how much insulin the body is making). Adequate glycemic control is defined by: 1) a blood HbA1c level <6.5%, 2) a blood glucose level after an overnight fast not exceeding 140 mg/dL more than three times in any week and, 3) a 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level not exceeding 180 mg/dL more than four times per week
One year post receipt of final islet transplantation
Percent of Participants That Achieved Insulin Independence From First Transplant
Time Frame: First transplantation until end of study (up to six years post final transplantation)
Insulin independence: exogenous insulin not required and glycemic control is achieved as defined by maintaining 1) a blood glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level < 6.5% (Normal:<5.7%; pre-diabetes: 5.7% -6.4%; diabetes: 6.5% or higher),2) a blood glucose level after an overnight fast not exceeding 140 mg per deciliter (dL) more than three times in any week (Normal: 70 to 120 mg/dL), and 3)not exceeding a 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level of 180 mg/dL more than four times per week (Normal: <140mg/dL if <=50 years of age, <150 mg/dL for ages 50-60 years and <160 mg/dL for ages 60+)
First transplantation until end of study (up to six years post final transplantation)
Percent of Participants With Detectable Fasting Basal C-Peptide Levels
Time Frame: Two years post first transplantation
C-peptide is a substance that the pancreas releases into the bloodstream in equal amounts to insulin, thereby showing how much insulin the body is making. C-peptide secretion is used to measure the function of transplanted islets. Higher levels indicate better islet function. Detectable fasting basal levels of C-peptide secretion are >=0.3 ng/ml.
Two years post first transplantation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: James Shapiro, MD, PhD, University of Alberta

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

April 1, 2001

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2005

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 13, 2001

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

August 31, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 15, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 6, 2017

Last Verified

February 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data access is provided to the public in : 1.) the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort), a long-term archive of clinical and mechanistic data from DAIT-funded grants and contracts that also provides data analysis tools available to researchers; and 2.) TrialShare, the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) portal.

Study Data/Documents

  1. Individual Participant Data Set
    Information identifier: SDY567
    Information comments: ImmPort study identifier is SDY567. ImmPort is a long-term archive of clinical and mechanistic data from DAIT-funded grants and contracts and is available to the Public.
  2. Study summary, -schematic, -design, -adverse event(s),-medications,-demographics, - lab tests, -study files
    Information identifier: SDY567
    Information comments: ImmPort study identifier is SDY567. ImmPort is a long-term archive of clinical and mechanistic data from DAIT-funded grants and contracts and is available to the Public.
  3. Individual Participant Data Set
    Information identifier: ITN005CT
    Information comments: TrialShare is the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) portal that makes data from the consortium's clinical trials publicly available without charge. Creating an account for ITN TrialShare is free and allows for searching studies of interest.
  4. Study overview & protocol synopsis, -navigator, -schedule of assessments, -data&reports, -specimens, etc.
    Information identifier: ITN005CT
    Information comments: TrialShare is a clinical trials research portal developed by the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) that makes data from the consortium's clinical trials publicly available without charge.

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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