March CE

Dr. Lisa Stehno-Bittel

Transplantation of pancreatic islets has been examined in humans for decades as a putative “cure” for diabetes. Fraught with limitations, islet transplantation is still rarely indicated over exogenous insulin therapies, which have advanced significantly (for humans). Current treatments for diabetic pets, however, are outdated, burdensome, and provide only partial glycemic control, leading to frequent complications and comorbidities. Conversely, cell-based therapies for diabetes have the ability restore natural glycemic function for several months to years with a single injection of cells. Furthermore, canines have been and are still used extensively in research for human application of these therapies with promising results, yet access to these treatments is essentially non-existent for pets and their owners. This presentation examines the history and progress of cell-therapies for diabetes, the limitations preventing their use in companion animals, and strategies to overcome these limitations. Specific topics include the use of advanced biomaterials and bioprocessing for immunoprotection and cell delivery, and the current status of stem-cell derived islet surrogates as a scalable and renewable source of therapeutic cells/tissues.

6:30 – Dinner/Registration
7pm – Presentation

Dr. Stehno-Bittel has spent over 25 years of her research career searching for a replacement for daily insulin injections for pets and people. She has 55 publications in scientific journals and has received more than $9 million in grant funding for her research. In 2012, she and Dr. Karthik Ramachandran licensed their patents from the University of Kansas Medical Center and started Likarda, where she serves as President. The focus of Likarda is to replace daily insulin injection for dogs and cats with a cell-based therapy.

She has received numerous awards for her research, teaching and entrepreneurship, and Ingram’s Magazine named her One of 50 Kansans You Should Know.