Immunoengineered Platforms for Type 1 Diabetes

Alice A. Tomei, PhD
Director, Islet Immunoengineering Laboratory, Diabetes Research Institute
Associate Professor, Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Immunology and Surgery
University of Miami Millers School of Medicine

Type 1 diabetes results from destruction of insulin-producing beta cells by autoreactive T cells, leading to lifelong insulin dependence and complications from poor glycemic control. Beta cell replacement can restore metabolic regulation but typically requires chronic systemic immunosuppression. Dr. Tomei develops tissue and immunoengineering strategies to enable beta cell replacement without such immunosuppression and to prevent autoimmune destruction. Her encapsulation technology optimizes glucose/insulin exchange while minimizing graft volume for confined, well-vascularized sites, and investigates its direct versus indirect immune protection to guide combination therapies. She also engineers composite biomaterials with hydrogels and nanomaterials for localized, sustained anti-rejection drug delivery. Additionally, she fabricates lymph node–such as stromal cell reticula using macroporous gelatin scaffolds to promote tolerogenic regulation of beta cell-reactive T cells.