Bernard Tuch
  1. Current research activities

    2. The Diabetes Transplant Unit is looking to find an endogenous source of insulin producing cells for transplantation into people with type 1 diabetes. The endogenous cells may be sourced from human or pig islets, differentiated stem cells or from other genetically modified cells. The treatment of the cells in vitro, meaning their expansion and directed differentiation, is pivotal to their potential in treating diabetes. Tissue engineering technologies benefit our research effort and are applicable in several key areas. We need a large number of cells for transplantation, expansion and up scaling techniques derived from tissue engineering would provide solutions to this problem.

    The in vitro microenvironment of progenitor cells determines the phenotype or characteristics of the cells during directed differentiation. Extra cellular matrix engineering and 3D scaffold manufacturing technology provide techniques for developing and maintaining a suitable phenotype for transplantation. Immunorejection impedes the success of transplantation therapy, tissue engineering technologies such as microencapsulation can reduce the occurrence of problems related to graft rejection.

  2. Keywords

    3. Diabetes, transplantation, stem cell directed differentiation, microencapsulation, genetic modification, immunotolerance, islet function, ß-cell characterisation.

  3. End-user applications

    •  Source of tissue for regenerative therapy (transplantation) for type 1 diabetes
    • Microencapsulation of tissue for transplantation
    • Stem cell differentiation
    • Cell matrix interactions
    • 3D scaffold tissue culturing
    • Fetal islet differentiation
    • Genetic manipulation of cell characteristics
    • Biomolecular characterisation of diabetes
  4. Key publications

    5. I. Porcine pancreatic icosapeptide as a marker of graft survival and rejection in xenotransplantation. Amaratunga A, Khoury P, Wang L, Williams L, Tuch BE. Xenotransplantation. 2003 Nov;10(6):622-7.
    II. Function of a genetically modified human liver cell line that stores, processes and secretes insulin. Tuch BE, Szymanska B, Yao M, Tabiin MT, Gross DJ, Holman S, Swan MA, Humphrey RK, Marshall GM, Simpson AM. Gene Ther. 2003 Mar;10(6):490-503
    III. Functional maturation of fetal porcine beta-cells by glucagon-like peptide 1 and cholecystokinin. Hardikar AA, Wang XY, Williams LJ, Kwok J, Wong R, Yao M, Tuch BE. Endocrinology. 2002 Sep;143(9):3505-14.
    IV. Fetal pig beta cells are resistant to the toxic effects of human cytokines. Bai L, Tuch BE, Hering B, Simpson AM. Transplantation 2002 Mar 15;73(5):714-22.
    V. Comparison of size, viability, and function of fetal pig islet-like cell clusters after digestion using collagenase or liberase . Georges P, Muirhead RP, Williams L, Holman S, Tabiin MT, Dean SK, Tuch BE. Cell Transplant. 2002;11(6):539-45.

  5. Outreach activities

    6. NSW stem cell network conveners – stem cell network was set up to exchange ideas relating to stem cell research which encompasses tissue engineering.

  6. Key organisation membership

    7. Tissue Engineering Society International (TESI)
    National Stem Cell Centre
    American Diabetes Association
    Australian Diabetes Society
    Transplantation Society
    Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand
    Cell Transplant Society
    International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association

  7. Early career researcher?

    8. No.

  8. Young investigator?

    9. No.

  9. Skills and expertise

    • Microencapsulation of cells
    • Design of genetic constructs
    • Maintenance of hES pluripotency
    • Insulin producing cells from hepatocytes
    • Directed differentiation of hES
    • Fetal human and porcine islet isolation and differentiation
    • Insulin producing cells from hES
    • Adult human man islet isolation
    • Genetic modification of somatic cells
    • ß-cell characterisation
    • Transplantation of cells into laboratory animals

  10. Specialist equipment and infrastructure

    •  Cell culture (including bacterial)
    • Biochemistry
    • Animal Facilities (for small animals; access to Op-theatre for large animals)
    • Specialist microscopy (fluorescent, phase etc)
    • FACS
    • Molecular biological facilities
    • Histology

  11. Contact Details 

    Professor Bernard Tuch FRACP, PhD
    Address: Diabetes Transplant Unit Prince of Wales Hospital
    High Street, Randwick, NSW 2031
    Country: Australia
    Phone: +61 2 9382 4814
    Fax: +61 2 9382 4826
    Email: b.tuch@unsw.edu.au

© 2004

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