About the Diabetes Research InstituteOverview

The Diabetes Research Institute is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet transplantation. From innovations in islet isolation and transplant procedures to advances in cell biology and immunology, the DRI is now harnessing the power of emerging technologies to develop new cell-based therapies to restore insulin production.  

The most comprehensive diabetes research center of its kind, the DRI is credited with changing the international research paradigm, ensuring that promising findings in the lab can be translated to patients in the fastest, safest and most efficient way possible.  Through this translational process, the DRI bridges research programs in the rapidly evolving fields of pancreatic stem cell development, tissue engineering, transplant immunology, cell transdifferentiation, molecular biology and regenerative medicine, among others, to approach the cure with a true multidisciplinary strategy.  

The Institute is an innovator in several research areas; however its principle focus is the biological replacement of insulin function to restore blood sugar control.   Known for its groundbreaking work in islet transplantation  resulting in normalized blood sugar levels in study patients, the DRI is now improving transplant processes and addressing the remaining challenges that limit the procedure’s widespread application.      

Beyond islet transplantation, the DRI is opening new doors to discovery by developing novel approaches to restore natural insulin function. Scientists from a broad range of disciplines are applying their expertise by:

>> Constructing tissue-engineered barriers and bio-devices;
>> Generating new, small molecules to eliminate the need for immune suppressing drugs;
>> Developing sophisticated techniques to assess islet viability and predict long-term function;
>> Transforming select cells of the body into insulin-producing cells;
>> Exploring methods to regenerate islets within the native pancreas.  

The DRI has a long history of scientific collaboration, but the most focused and far-reaching initiative to date is the Diabetes Research Institute Federation. Comprised of a dozen medical centers on almost every continent, the DRI Federation is an international network of leading scientists who are sharing knowledge, applying their respective expertise to key research areas, and concentrating solely on curing the disease.  

The Institute’s open-door philosophy provides opportunities for scientists and biomedical companies around the world to utilize the DRI’s state-of-the-art facilities and expertise to quickly and efficiently evaluate promising new research strategies. Much of this work begins in the DRI’s Fast Track Center for Testing, where investigators can access all three of the fundamental phases of research – basic (in the lab), pre-clinical (study models), and clinical (patient studies) – under one roof.  This translational approach and structure enables researchers to take potential new therapies begun in the lab and further develop these techniques to benefit those with diabetes.  

The DRI applies this same collaborative approach as a training center, hosting international conferences and conducting hands–on workshops for visiting scientists.

The Institute also facilitates the distribution of its specialized cell processing equipment and other devices to researchers throughout the world. This includes the system that separates healthy insulin-producing islets from a donor pancreas, which was invented by the DRI’s scientific director, Dr. Camillo Ricordi.  

DRI scientists have been awarded competitive federal and state grants for more than thirty consecutive years. The resulting research findings have been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and the DRI’s many innovations are used in diabetes centers worldwide. As leaders in their fields, the Institute’s faculty serves on numerous national and international committees, scientific review panels and medical associations to provide and interpret scientific data and assist in strategic planning.  

While competitive research grants are the mainstay of world-class research institutes, the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation provides the DRI with the critical seed funding necessary for developing and pursuing new research initiatives. Supported by private philanthropy, the DRI Foundation also fills the gaps in many stages of the research process that are not covered by grants and other funding sources.    

A designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the DRI provides informative and practical Continuing Medical Education programs for physicians, health care professionals and industry representatives.  For patients and their families, the DRI’s Kosow Diabetes Treatment Center offers an array of diabetes management and education activities, as well as participation in clinical research studies, ensuring the highest standards of health care delivery.   

With an unwavering commitment to cure those now living with diabetes, along with its unique spirit of collaboration and fast track approach to research, the DRI is leading the international effort to cure this disease. For the millions of families affected by diabetes who are looking to the world of science for answers, the DRI is the best hope for a cure.