The major objectives of the Southern California Islet Consortium are to:

1. Establish the safety of islet transplantation as a treatment for type 1 diabetes with a large base of data.
2. Confirm the efficacy (or effectiveness) of islet transplantation as a treatment and possible cure for type 1 diabetes.
3. Establish islet cell transplantation as a more viable treatment option for type 1 diabetes patients.
4. Facilitate the conduct of scientific research in the public interest.

Specific research objectives being explored by SC-IC sites to overcome hurdles currently facing islet transplantation so that it can someday be approved for treatment of all patients with type 1 diabetes include:

1. Optimizing methodology for organ procurement, islet isolation, islet culture to maximize islet yield, survival and function.
2. Devising effective strategies for expanding islet cell mass and differentiating insulin-producing cells from adult and/or embryonic stem cells to address shortages in donor islet supply.
3. Improving islet quality assessment techniques to ensure that islets certified for clinical transplant are of the highest quality.
4. Exploring alternative sites for islet cell transplantation outside of the liver.
5. Establishing improved methodology for monitoring islet function in vivo post-transplant (i.e., islet imaging, islet gene profiling, immune monitoring, etc)
6. Improving immunosuppression to prevent islet graft rejection.
7. Devising strategies to induce “immune tolerance” so that islet transplantation may be given without the risks associated with chronic immunosuppression.