Research Corporation Technologies announces company to develop islet cell-transplant technology.

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 1996--Research Corporation Technologies has formed a development company to prove the feasibility of using cellular transplants as therapy for diseases such as type I, or insulin-dependent, diabetes.

Sertoli Technologies Inc. (STI) is based on the work of Dr. Helena Selawry at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center, both in Memphis. Selawry has spent many years exploring a treatment for type I diabetes by transplanting new insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells to replace those destroyed by the disease.

The goal of her work has been to create a site in the body, safe from attack by the immune system, where islet cells can survive.

Diabetes patients are prone to both acute and long-term complications that result in increased hospitalizations, disability and death. High rates of irreversible complications in Type I diabetes still occur despite insulin replacement. These complications include progressive blood vessel damage that can lead to kidney failure, blindness, peripheral nerve dysfunction, strokes and heart attacks.

Selawry's breakthrough discoveries may make cellular therapy for diabetes a reality.

First, she found that Sertoli cells, the nurse cells for developing sperm in the testis, also are responsible for the immunoprivileged characteristic of the testis. She then showed that Sertoli cells produce strong immunosuppressive and growth-stimulating factors that are enhanced when the cells are moved from the usual environmental temperature of 32 degrees C to a normal body temperature of 37 degrees C.

She showed that these immunoinhibitory factors inhibit T cell proliferation. Recent studies with others demonstrated that Sertoli cells also can kill activated T cells by programmed cell death, or apoptosis, through interaction with the Fas ligand molecule.

In vivo, Selawry showed that transplanted Sertoli cells create immunoprotective sites where other kinds of cells can function so only short-term exogenous immunosuppression is needed. To treat diabetes in animals, she created an immunoprotected site using Sertoli cells where allogeneic islets developed and functioned.

The allografts reversed the hyperglycemic state in diabetic rodents, suggesting the therapy may be applicable in higher animals. Preliminary data suggests the same technique may be applied with xenogeneic islets.

STI will focus initially on developing a therapeutic cellular transplant for type I diabetes using porcine Sertoli/pancreatic islet cell-xenografts. STI development will advance in stages, based on clearly defined milestones. RCT is financing the first part of the seed stage, which will determine feasibility in higher animals.

The following stage will build from these successful animal studies to a human pilot clinical trial. Much of this initial work will be conducted at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Memphis through a sponsored research program.

In the past year, RCT has developed a strong patent portfolio and commercialization plan based on Selawry's work. RCT is an independent technology management company that commercializes technologies developed at research institutions throughout North America. RCT's Venture Development Group created the plan to form STI.

The venture group creates and manages development plans to add value to early stage technologies through active investment and management. Commercialization vehicles can range from alliances to new companies.

Technologies managed by RCT include the anticancer drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, the PSA blood test for prostate cancer, technetium-99m cardiac imaging agents and the Pichia yeast protein expression system.

For additional information contact Shaun A. Kirkpatrick, Venture Development Associate, 101 N. Wilmot Road, Suite 600, Tucson, AZ, 85711-3335, Direct tel. [phone], Fax [phone].

CONTACT: Research Corporation Technologies, Tucson

Jan McCoy, 520/748-4458