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Research Area

Application of cell and gene therapies to Type 1 diabetes to improve glycaemic control.

My major research interest is in Type 1 diabetes and the application of clinical islet including stem cell derived islet transplantation along with other co-therapies to improve islet transplantation outcomes.

 

My group conducts both cohort studies in humans with Type 1 diabetes as well as laboratory based research in rodent models with diabetes.

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Clinical studies: I am Lead Physician of the Islet Transplant Programme in Scotland and work closely with the team based in Scotland, the UK Islet Transplant Consortium and the Edmonton, Islet Transplant Programme, where I am a Visiting Professor. My analysis of cohorts that have had islet transplants, has led to insights into factors that are important in influencing outcomes including listing patients for second transplants and HLA status of the donor and recipient. Working with Professor Peter Senior and Professor James Shapiro, I developed and validated the BETA-2 score, a novel composite score of islet transplant function based on a fasting blood sample, now adopted internationally (see app for calculation: https://www.beta2score.com/).

 

Translational Studies: I am interested in the assessment of islet viability by novel non-labelled methodologies and am currently working with biophysicists to develop these methodologies.

 

Rodent studies: A major focus in my research laboratory is of islet transplantation including the underlying mechanisms limiting the success of the procedure. I have established islet transplantation into rodent models including by the technically challenging hepatic portal vein at the University of Edinburgh. I have a major interest in stem cell derived islet transplantation and work collaboratively with a number of researchers to investigate the mechanisms behind islet-graft loss and aim to reduce islet loss and improve engraftment of islets in vivo using innovative therapies including cell therapy and gene-based approaches. I am actively pursuing these approaches at the clinical interface to improve long-term islet transplant outcomes. 

Collaborations

UK Islet Transplant Programme Scotland and UK Islet Transplant Consortium.

 

Professor James Shapiro, Transplant Surgeon, Edmonton Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta, Canada. 

 

Professor Peter Senior, Endocrinologist, Edmonton Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta, Canada. 

 

Alberta Diabetes Research Institute, Alberta, Canada. 

 

Cell Gene Therapy Catapult, UK.

 

Dr Euan Brown, Associate Professor, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. 

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UK Type 1 Diabetes Research Consortium.  

 

Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark. 

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University of Nottingham, UK. 

Profile

Shareen Forbes is Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Lead Physician of the Islet Transplant Programme in Scotland since its inception in 2009 and Visiting Professor of the Islet Transplant Programme, Edmonton, Canada. She graduated in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh and did specialist training in diabetes, endocrinology and general medicine at Imperial College, London where she was awarded Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation fellowship to undertake her PhD studies. Following her PhD award in 2005 she was awarded the Diabetes UK Clinical Intermediate Fellowship to further study in vivo metabolism in diabetes which she undertook first at Imperial College London and later at the University of Edinburgh.

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Current Roles

2024 ; International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association – Education Committee 

2024; Danish Diabetes and Endocrinology Academy Board Member on Strategic Partnerships

2024 ; Breakthrough T1D International Consortium Group Member

2022 ; Centre for PRecision medicine Cell TherApy for Liver (PRaCTicAL) Steering Group Member

2021 ; Breakthrough T1D Scientific Advisory Board Member

2019 ; Scottish Diabetes Technology Group Member

2018 ; Novo Nordisk UK Foundation Trustee Member; Chair in May 2024

2011 ; Clinical Transplant Trials Committee, NHS Lothian.

2011 ; Tutor MSc courses at Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow

2010 ; Principal Investigator Islet Transplant Programme, Scotland / UK Islet Transplant Consortium

 

Previous Roles

2017 - 2023; Diabetes UK, Clinical Studies Group 2, Causes and Prevention of Type 1 diabetes Member

2019 – 2023; Lead Metabolic and Obesity Networks, Society for Endocrinology

2019 – 2023; Society for Endocrinology, Council of Health Care Professionals

2017 – 2018; American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions Transplantation Committee

2016 – 2019; British Endocrine Societies, Scientific Advisory Board Member

2016 - 2018; Innovators in Diabetes Research Programme

2014 – 2018; Diabetes UK Scottish Advisory Council of Health Care Professionals Member

2009 - 2016; Translational Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Studies – Course Organiser, Director of Medical Statistics Module

2008 - 2013; Principal Investigator Tommy’s Research Programme

Our Team

Previous PhD and MD group members

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Dr Laura Reid

Dr Faye Baxter

Dr Sophie Walker 

Dr Adrian Garcia Burgos

George McKay

Dr Stefania Brown

Eileen Miller

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Selected
Publications  

ORCID

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  1. Hussain S, Braune K, Forbes S, Senior PA. Closed-loop systems: a bridge to cell therapy for type diabetes? Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024 Aug 20:S2213-8587(24)00240-7. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00240-7. 

  2. Forbes S and Kay T. Islet transplantation in kidney transplant recipients with type 1 diabetes 2024; commentary. Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. In press. 

  3. Baxter F, Baillie N, Dover A, Stimson RH, Gibb F, Forbes S. A cross-sectional questionnaire study: Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia remains prevalent in adults with type 1 diabetes and is associated with the risk of severe hypoglycaemia. PLoS One. 2024 Jun 14;19(6):e0297601. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.0297601. 

  4. Hazlehurst J, Khoo B, Lobato C.B, Ilesanmi I, Abbott S, Chan T, Pillai S, Maslin K, Purkayastha S, McGowan B, Andrews R, Nicholson E, McCullough K, Albon L, Batterham R, Dimitriaidis GK, Forbes S, Bewick G, & Tan TM. Society for Endocrinology guidelines for the diagnosis and management of post-bariatric hypoglycaemia. Endocrine Connections, 13(5), e230285. Retrieved Apr 9, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-23-0285

  5. Stanley AK, Duncan K, Anderson D, Irvine L, Sutherland A, Forbes S, Casey J. Insulin independence following islet transplantation improves long-term metabolic outcomes. Diabet Med. 2024 Feb;41(2):e15257. doi: 10.1111/dme.15257.Epub 2023 Nov 15. PMID: 37968808.

  6. Forbes S, Halpin A, Lam A, Grynoch D, Parker R, Hidalgo L, Bigam D, Anderson B, Dajani K, Kin T, O'Gorman D, Senior PA, Campbell P, Shapiro AMJ. Islet transplantation outcomes in type 1 diabetes and transplantation of HLA-DQ8/DR4: results of a single-centre retrospective cohort in Canada. EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Dec 13;67:102333. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102333. PMID: 38169703; PMCID: PMC10758748.

  7. Stanley AK, Duncan K, Anderson D, Irvine L, Sutherland A, Forbes S, Casey J. Insulin independence following islet transplantation improves long-term metabolic outcomes. Diabet Med. 2024 Feb;41(2):e15257. doi: 10.1111/dme.15257. Epub 2023 Nov 15. PMID: 37968808.

  8. Shapey IM, Summers A, O'Sullivan J, Fullwood C, Hanley NA, Casey J, Forbes S, Rosenthal M, Johnson PRV, Choudhary P, Bushnell J, Shaw JAM, Neiman D, Shemer R, Glaser B, Dor Y, Augustine T, Rutter MK, van Dellen D. Beta-cell death and dysfunction drives hyperglycaemia in organ donors. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Dec;25(12):3529-3537. doi: 10.1111/dom.15248. Epub 2023 Aug 30. PMID: 37646197.

  9. Walker SL, Noble J, Thomson A, Moran CM, Mellis D, Lee IN, White LJ, Forbes S. Ultrasound-guided hepatic portal vein injection is not a reproducible technique for delivery of cell therapies to the liver in mice. Diabet Med. 2023 Dec;40(12):e15192. doi: 10.1111/dme.15192. Epub 2023 Aug 17. PMID: 37531444.

  10. Forbes S. BETA-2 score at 28 days after islet allogeneic transplantation in type 1 diabetes for predicting 5-year outcomes. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023 Jun;11(6):376-377. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00090-6. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37105209.

  11. Joshi SS, Singh T, Kershaw LE, Gibb FW, Dweck MR, Williams M, Idris I, Semple S, Forbes S, Newby DE, Reynolds RM. Non-invasive imaging of functional pancreatic islet beta-cell mass in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. 2023 Oct;40(10):e15111. doi: 10.1111/dme.15111. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37035965.

  12. Baxter F, Baillie N, Forbes S. Study protocol: a randomised controlled proof-of-concept real-world study - does maximising time in range using hybrid closed loop insulin delivery and a low carbohydrate diet restore the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia in adults with type 1 diabetes? BMJ Open. 2022 Dec 20;12(12):e054958. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054958. PMID: 36600427; PMCID: PMC9772676.

  13. Lam A, Oram RA, Forbes S, Olateju T, Malcolm AJ, Imes S, Shapiro AMJ, Senior PA. Estimation of Early Graft Function Using the BETA-2 Score Following Clinical Islet Transplantation. Transpl Int. 2022 Jul 6;35:10335. doi: 10.3389/ti.2022.10335. PMID: 35874309; PMCID: PMC9301872.

  14. Forbes S, Flatt AJ, Bennett D, Crookston R, Pimkova M, Birtles L, Pernet A, Wood RC, Burling K, Barker P, Counter C, Lumb A, Choudhary P, Rutter MK, Rosenthal M, Sutherland A, Casey J, Johnson P, Shaw JAM. The impact of islet mass, number of transplants, and time between transplants on graft function in a national islet transplant program. Am J Transplant. 2022 Jan;22(1):154-164. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16785. Epub 2021 Aug 22. PMID: 34355503; PMCID: PMC9292186.

  15. Reid L, Baxter F, Forbes S. Effects of islet transplantation on microvascular and macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2021 Jul;38(7):e14570. doi: 10.1111/dme.14570. Epub 2021 May 3. PMID: 33780027.

  16. Forbes S. The BETA-2 score web app calculator: https://www.beta2score.com/ for assessment of graft function following islet transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2021 Jul;21(7):2619. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16551. Epub 2021 Mar 8. PMID: 33624356; PMCID: PMC8359165.

  17. Alwahsh SM, Qutachi O, Starkey Lewis PJ, Bond A, Noble J, Burgoyne P, Morton N, Carter R, Mann J, Ferreira-Gonzalez S, Alvarez-Paino M, Forbes SJ, Shakesheff KM, Forbes S. Fibroblast growth factor 7 releasing particles enhance islet engraftment and improve metabolic control following islet transplantation in mice with diabetes. Am J Transplant. 2021 Sep;21(9):2950-2963. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16488. Epub 2021 Feb 2. PMID: 33428803; PMCID: PMC8603932.

  18. Sabbah S, Liew A, Brooks AM, Kundu R, Reading JL, Flatt A, Counter C, Choudhary P, Forbes S, Rosenthal MJ, Rutter MK, Cairns S, Johnson P, Casey J, Peakman M, Shaw JA, Tree TIM. Autoreactive T cell profiles are altered following allogeneic islet transplantation with alemtuzumab induction and re-emerging phenotype is associated with graft function. Am J Transplant. 2021 Mar;21(3):1027-1038. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16285. Epub 2020 Sep 19. PMID: 32865886.

  19. Thirlwell KL, Colligan D, Mountford JC, Samuel K, Bailey L, Cuesta-Gomez N, Hewit KD, Kelly CJ, West CC, McGowan NWA, Casey JJ, Graham GJ, Turner ML, Forbes S, Campbell JDM. Pancreas-derived mesenchymal stromal cells share immune response-modulating and angiogenic potential with bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells and can be grown to therapeutic scale under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. Cytotherapy. 2020 Dec;22(12):762-771. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.07.010. Epub 2020 Aug 20. PMID: 32828673.

  20. Shapey IM, Summers A, Yiannoullou P, Khambalia H, Fullwood C, Hanley NA, Casey J, Forbes S, Rosenthal M, Johnson PR, Choudhary P, Bushnell J, Shaw JAM, Augustine T, Rutter MK, van Dellen D. Donor insulin use predicts beta-cell function after islet transplantation. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2020 Oct;22(10):1874-1879. doi: 10.1111/dom.14088. Epub 2020 Jun 14. PMID: 32452110.

  21. Forbes S, Bond AR, Thirlwell KL, Burgoyne P, Samuel K, Noble J, Borthwick G, Colligan D, McGowan NWA, Lewis PS, Fraser AR, Mountford JC, Carter RN, Morton NM, Turner ML, Graham GJ, Campbell JDM. Human umbilical cord perivascular cells improve human pancreatic islet transplant function by increasing vascularization. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Jan 15;12(526):eaan5907. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan5907. PMID: 31941825.

Social Media

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  • ABCD Webinar: Cell Therapy for Type 1 diabetes. Professor Shareen Forbes, Dr Sufyan Hussein and Professor James Shaw - 9th Jan 2025 

  • UoE :  Exploring views on current and future treatments for Type 1 Diabetes  - May 2024

  • Diabetes UK : Research delves deeper islet transplant match making people Type 1 Diabetes   - Mar 2024

  • Inaugural Lecture: Future Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes - Jun 2022

  • Diabetes Scotland: Islet Quality Assessment in Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes - Feb 2022

  • Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: 100 Years of Insulin Reflections - Jan 2022

  • Diabetes UK :  World Diabetes Day - Nov 2021

  • Diabetes UK :  100 Years of Insulin  - Oct 2021

  • Diabetes UK :  Islet transplants guidance changed  - Aug 2021

  • The Naked Scientist Podcast: New Cell Transplant for Diabetes  - Jan 2020

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Centre for Cardiovascular Science

Queen's Medical Research Institute,

Edinburgh BioQuarter,

Edinburgh EH16 4TJ

University of Edinburgh
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