Islet Cell Resource Centers

A consortium of NCRR-supported Islet Cell Resource Centers isolate, purify, characterize, stabilize, and ship clinical grade human pancreatic islets for subsequent transplantation into patients with type I diabetes and for basic research protocols. These centers procure whole cadaver pancreata and acquire relevant data about donors; improve islet isolation, purification, and assessment techniques; distribute islets for use in approved clinical and basic research protocols; and perfect the methods for stabilizing and transporting whole pancreata and storage and shipping of isolated islets. In this way, the centers optimize the viability, function, and availability of islets and help clinical investigators capitalize on the reported successes in islet transplantation.

The centers are electronically linked through an Administrative and Bioinformatics Coordinating Center (ABCC). The ABCC, located at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, manages a system with objectively defined criteria that establishes the order of priority for islet distribution. It also provides database and other informatics to track the utilization of pancreata and all distributed clinical grade islets for transplant and basic research, and supports the Islet Cell Resource Centers Consortium so that the research community has a single entry point to the program. Qualified researchers from domestic institutions may request islets by submitting a written application to the director of the ABCC.

NCRR supports the centers in collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Program Guidelines

Policy and Procedures for the Islet Cell Resource Centers Consortium (91KB PDF file, requires free Acrobat Reader)

Administrative and Bioinformatics Coordinating Center

City of Hope National Medical Center
  and Beckman Research Institute
Division of Information Sciences
1500 East Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010-3000

Grant No. 1 U42 RR17673

Web site: icr.coh.org

The Islet Cell Resource (ICR) Centers Consortium comprises an interactive group of academic laboratories. (Obtain contact information for a specific consortium laboratory by selecting the location of the desired Center on the Islet Cell Resources (ICR) Centers map.) Investigators may request islets for qualified transplantation protocols or for qualified basic science studies. The ICRs will distribute Islets as appropriate for either clinical or basic science protocol use to eligible investigators who have received a favorable review and subsequent approval by the ICR Steering Committee (SC). The Administrative and Bioinformatics Coordinating Center (ABCC) manages the distribution according to a priority list. The ABCC will give preference to investigators who have peer-reviewed, NIH-funded research support.

Contact Information

For information about the consortium and how to access its resources, please contact:

Project Administrator
John S. Kaddis
626-256-4673, ext. 63377; Fax: 626-471-7106
E-mail: jkaddis@coh.org

ABCC Director and Principal Investigator
Joyce Niland, Ph.D.
626-359-8111, ext. 63032; Fax: 626-301-8802
E-mail: jniland@coh.org

For program information, please contact:

Daniel Rosenblum, M.D.
Medical Officer
Division for Clinical Research Resources
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 915
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4874 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-435-0451
Fax: 301-480-3661
E-mail: RosenblumD@mail.nih.gov