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Members of the Oxford DRWF Human Islet Isolation Team recently took part in a fundraising initiative for the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (DRWF), supporting a charity that has played a key role in enabling diabetes research at Oxford.

Art, Antho and Becca
From L-R: Artjoms Portnojs, Anthony Cornu and Rebecca Spiers

The Oxford DRWF Human Islet Isolation Team were delighted to take part in the renowned Oxford Town and Gown run last month in support of the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (DRWF).

Alongside Antho, and Art I joined thousands of enthusiastic runners on a chilly Sunday morning in May, making their way through the scenic streets of Oxford to raise funds for this important charity (and achieving several personal bests along the way!).

The DRWF funds research aimed at improving our understanding of diabetes, including its causes, prevention, treatment, and management. Its ultimate goal is to find a cure. Since the opening of the Oxford DRWF Human Islet Facility in 2006, the Foundation has provided generous and consistent financial support to the Oxford Islet Facility, a contribution reflected in the facility’s name.

The Oxford Islet Facility is one of only three specialist centres in the UK dedicated to isolating human islets (the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas) from donated organs. These islets are then transplanted into people living with type 1 diabetes, helping restore their ability to produce insulin naturally.

As we approach 20 years since the facility first opened, we celebrate the many patients whose lives have been transformed through islet transplantation made possible by the work of the Oxford Islet Isolation Unit, and by the extraordinary generosity and long-standing support of the DRWF.

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