EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR ISLET TRANSPLANTATION (ECIT)

Six European-based centers for human islet transplantation have established collaboration with the aim establishing an integrated project to develop and expand clinical islet transplantation. The centers involved are:

• Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneve, Switzerland
• Justus-Liebig-University Geissen, Giessen, Germany
• Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
• Diabetes Research Center, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium
• CHRU de Lille, Lille, France
• San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), Milan, Italy

The goals of the Consortium are to improve human islet isolation and transplantation procedures by formulating common protocols, projects, database and management.

Collaborative research efforts address:

• Collaborative clinical trials protocols
• Standardization of methods
• Integrated accessibility to core analysis facilities
• Generation of islets for researchers
• Research modules that complement clinical protocols
• Homogenization of regulatory issues