Isolation facility for diabetes research

Diabetes research in Oxford in the UK has recently been boosted by a £1.2m grant to the Nuffield Department of Surgery for the building of a state-of-the-art facility for isolating human pancreatic islets.

The grant was from the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, and the new facility, designed and built by Clean Room Construction (CRC), is based within the recently opened Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism (OCDEM) at the Churchill Hospital. Islets are clusters of cells within the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that controls blood glucose levels. In type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes these islets have stopped functioning, meaning that insulin injections are required. However, recent trials carried out in Edmonton, Canada, have demonstrated that it is possible to reverse type 1 diabetes by transplanting healthy islets from organ donors. This enables up to 85% of patients to avoid the necessity of insulin injections for at least one year after transplantation. The minimally invasive procedure can also potentially reverse some of the long-term complications of the disease, such as blindness, kidney failure and heart disease. The generous grant will provide the Oxford Islet Transplant Programme with one of the best islet isolation facilities in Europe. It will be used not only to isolate human islets for transplantation, but also to provide researchers in Oxford with human islets for basic research on the causes of diabetes and islet function.

Open book costing CRC was selected on a two-stage design and build "open book" costing basis. After successfully bidding for the design and tendering phase, CRC appointed Jim Muir and Barry Askew as the project engineer and site manager respectively. The 230m² facility includes a store/sluice, preparation and culture rooms, together with an isolation lab, change areas and offices, all constructed using CRC's CMP prefabricated modular partition system. The system has been specifically developed by CRC for the cleanroom market. It provides a high level of sound insulation, has pre-engineered services in the panels and comes complete with an integrated door interlock system, vision and escape panels. The floors are finished with non-slip welded vinyl sheet incorporating an attractive motif design. CRC fitted all of the furniture, which included benching, pass through hatches, trolley hatches, lockers, shelving and step-over barriers. Microbiological safety cabinets were also supplied and installed as part of the contract. A fully integrated air conditioning and filtration system was installed in order to provide and maintain the temperature, humidity, pressure, cleanliness and noise conditions specified in the design parameters.

Services The project included supplies for hot and cold water, specialist gases, power, emergency lighting, an addressable fire detection system, voice and data, security and access control, intercom and CCTV. The eye-catching facility has been completed to meet the demanding MHRA licensing requirements with EC GMP Grade B aseptic handling areas and Grade C preparation areas. All open processing is carried out in Grade A Class 2 microbiological safety cabinets. Dr Paul Johnson, director of the Oxford Islet Transplant Programme, commented: "Our ultimate aim is to be able to transplant children [with healthy islets] soon after their diagnosis with diabetes. With its unique combination of basic scientific and clinical expertise, together with the building of new facilities such as OCDEM and the new Children's Hospital, Oxford is in an ideal position to achieve this goal. "This is a very exciting time for the field of islet transplantation. We have known for many years that this procedure could reverse type 1 diabetes in the research setting but now we have seen this demonstrated in clinical trials. The grant will enable Oxford to remain in the forefront of this technology." A prestigious opening has been planned for 19 January 2006. Dr Jonathon Lakey, a pioneer in islet transplantation and director of Human Islets at the University of Alberta, will attend the ceremony with Dr Johnson. Gary Mabbutt, the former footballer who was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 18 but went on to become a living legend and ambassador to British sport, has also been invited to attend. CRC has earned a formidable reputation providing university research facilities. The islet suite is the first of three facilities that the company is currently constructing for the University of Oxford.