NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new clinical trial funded by Breakthrough T1D recently launched and is testing islet cell transplantation paired with Eledon Pharmaceuticals' investigational immunosuppression therapy tegoprubart in people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The first participant in the trial received an islet cell transplant, marking the first time individuals with T1D and CKD have been included in islet transplant trials.
Nearly one in three people living with T1D develop CKD, which increases the risk of kidney failure and other T1D complications. Treatment options for these individuals have remained limited, and until now, potential kidney toxicity related to standard immunosuppressant regimens used in transplants has kept people with T1D and reduced kidney function out of islet cell transplant studies. Eledon's tegoprubart has been shown in earlier studies to have fewer and milder side effects than other immunosuppressant regimens.
"Advancing promising islet cell research that is a next step toward durable and scalable cures for type 1 diabetes is a key priority for Breakthrough T1D," said Esther Latres, Ph.D., Breakthrough T1D senior vice president, Research. "We're proud to support this trial that expands cell therapy research and access to people living with T1D and chronic kidney disease for the first time."
"This first transplant represents a milestone towards expanding islet cell therapy to a broader population of people living with type 1 diabetes, including those with kidney disease who have historically been excluded from these studies," said Piotr Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Pancreatic and Islet Transplant Program at the University of Chicago and principal investigator of the trial. "By replacing tacrolimus with tegoprubart, we hope to protect both the transplanted islets and our patients' kidney function, and show that more people with T1D can safely benefit from this therapy."
The multi-center trial is currently enrolling 10 participants at the University of Chicago and the University of Miami. Eligible participants must be 18-70 years old, diagnosed with T1D for more than five years with onset before age 40, living with CKD at stage 1, 2, or 3a, and have impaired awareness of hypoglycemia.
This new trial builds on the current Breakthrough T1D-funded study testing tegoprubart with deceased-donor islets transplants in people with severe hypoglycemic events or hypoglycemia unawareness. All 12 participants enrolled in the current trial to-date are off external insulin, and three more people are currently enrolled.
Breakthrough T1D awarded $8.5 million to the University of Chicago to fund the trial. Eledon is a T1D Fund portfolio company.
About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts 9.5 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
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SOURCE Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
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