Dr. Kharlampieva, left, and Dr. Tse are pictured with Michael Zeiger of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Research Center.Eugenia Kharlampieva, Ph.D., polymer and materials chemist and associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, is working with Hubert Tse, Ph.D. immunologist and associate professor in the Department of Microbiology in the School of Medicine, on a promising diabetes research project.The pair is investigating a process in which pig tissue is wrapped with a protective coating to ultimately fight diabetes in humans. The nano-thin bilayers of protective material are meant to deter or prevent immune rejection. Their ultimate goal is transplant insulin-producing cell-clusters from pigs into humans to treat Type 1 diabetes. “Our collaboration works because we have the same mindset,” Kharlampieva said of her work with Tse. “We want to do good science.”
The pair’s research is supported by two new JDRF Diabetes Foundation grants.
