Dr Ildem Akerman, Associate Professor in Functional Genomics at the University of Birmingham and lead researcher of the BetaCell Birmingham facility said:
“This funding represents a major forward leap for both typeI and TypeII diabetes research as we are able to significantly expand the production capacity of our facility. Our facility generates human stem cell derived insulin-secreting beta cells which could replace the use of mouse models in diabetes research, building on the pioneering protocols of other researchers.
“BetaCell Birmingham is already collaborating with Imperial College London and Oxford University to advance research into how insulin-secreting beta cells may in future be used for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes patients. We have already started shipping tiny vials of live cells to be used by specialist bioengineers around the country, and with this new funding many more researchers will be able to use and advance their research without the use of mice.”
National funding award
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BetaCell is one of 21 projects receiving a total of £4.85m by the NC3Rs to accelerate the use of non-animal approaches in research. The awards have been supported with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to accelerate the uptake of non-animal approaches and replace animal-derived products in research and testing.
The NC3Rs has been pioneering the development, validation and adoption of models that apply the latest technological advances to replace animal use in research and testing for the past 20 years. The success of replacement approaches and the scientific benefits they can offer is one of the drivers behind decreasing animal use, with [recent statistics](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2023/annual-statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2023) showing that the number of scientific procedures involving living animals in Great Britain in 2023 was the lowest since 2001.
Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, Chair of the NC3Rs Board said:
“The NC3Rs has led the way for the past 20 years in developing, validating and promoting the adoption of non-animal approaches in the biosciences. This substantive investment from DSIT is a major landmark in our journey, enabling a step-change in infrastructure to advance the work at scale and paving the way for non-animal derived products to become the reagents of choice in in vitro studies.”
BetaCell Birmingham is one of the many examples where the University of Birmingham is working across disciplines to advance new technologies and treatments that enable people to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Our researchers are collaborating with the NHS and other health partners to turn medical science into innovative patient and healthcare technologies.