Business Title
The Chicago Diabetes Project
Global Collaboration for a Functional Cure
About
In 2004, the Washington Square Health Foundation developed the idea of having researchers from around the world come together to form the Chicago Diabetes Project, a group of highly qualified scientists and their teams who committed themselves to achieving one goal: cure type one diabetes.
The CDP is working to functionally cure diabetes by transplanting insulin-producing islet cells into diabetic patients, which would reduce or eliminate the need for multiple exogenous insulin injections daily and provide better control of blood glucose levels. Our mission is to develop and perfect this procedure in the shortest time possible, without the need for immunosuppressive drugs. Eliminating the use of immunosuppressive drugs will make the procedure more affordable, reduce side effects, and allow the procedure to serve a broader patient population.
The Chicago Diabetes Project is performing late stage critical experiments that are yielding promising results. Dr. Jose Oberholzer, Founder of the Chicago Diabetes Project, along with other CDP collaborators strongly believe that the scientific community has all the necessary components to make cell-based therapy an option for millions of diabetic patients, except one. To eradicate diabetes, our need for funding is critical.
The Chicago Diabetes Project has never wavered from their crystal-clear vision of functionally curing diabetes.
We have overcome countless obstacles to make this scientific discovery a reality for the 1.6 million Americans living with T1D. The CDP has sought out the most brilliant and dedicated surgeons, researchers, physicians and scientists to move these discoveries from the labs and into the body of patients. In the last few decades, a vast amount of scientific knowledge has been gathered dealing with how insulin-producing cells develop, function and survive in the average human body, and how they have become compromised and destroyed in patients with diabetes. The prediction of 5 million Americans who will suffer from diabetes by 2050 is astonishing and something we have to change. We are like no other organization in the world. We are not looking for accolades of success, rather simply want all those who suffer from Type 1 to lead a normal life.
We have a clear vision, the most dedicated scientists, physicians, and surgeons, and the passion to functionally cure this growing epidemic called diabetes.
Chicago Diabetes Project Reaches Major Fundraising Milestone in the Fight for a Type 1 Diabetes Cure
By: Julia Flaherty
When Jill Dine’s son, Clayton, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at 2 years old, she and her husband turned to diabetes nonprofits to figure out how they could support others navigating the condition. When she landed on the Chicago Diabetes Project (CDP), she and her husband became laser-focused on helping the organization based on its core mission: to find a cure for T1D.
Today, Dine serves as the Executive Director of the CDP.
“All the other diabetes organizations are fantastic,” Dine said. “We love what they can do, but at the CDP, our mission is very clear—to cure type 1.”
That focus brings in supporters like Bridget Meyers, who has been living with T1D for the past four years.
“I was diagnosed when I was 18,” she shared. “It was back on spring break during COVID. I had just moved into my college dorm. I was living by myself and felt like I was going to pass out. It was craziness.”
Running for a Cure
Meyers is part of Cellmates on the Run, the CDP’s marathon team, which has become an integral part of the organization’s identity.
On Sunday, October 12, 2025, around 7:00 AM Central Time, in Grant Park, Meyer ran alongside 49 other runners who shared her commitment to supporting the CDP and the wider diabetes community.
Before the marathon, Meyer shared her hopes for what others see in the Cellmates on race day.
“I hope when I cross the finish line, my loved ones understand that it’s so much bigger than me,” Meyers said. “They see one person, but in reality, I represent the 20 to 30 people who have donated to the marathon to let me run and the millions of people living with diabetes. I hope they see a little piece of all of them as they watch me cross the finish line.”
According to the T1D Index, 9.5 million people worldwide are living with T1D. Most of the Cellmates on the Run share a connection to T1D, often with parents or loved ones running on behalf of a child with the condition. This year, about five to 10 runners on the team actually have T1D.
“In the 14 years that T1D has been a part of my life, I’ve met other people with children or family members with type 1,” Dine said. “We don’t have a big marketing budget, but our social outreach has legs. People say they love running with us. We try to make it a memorable experience.”
“I would never run a marathon unless it was for a fundraiser.”
Meyers can attest to the value of running with the Cellmates.
“The Chicago Diabetes Project really set me up for success,” Meyers shared. “They helped pay for the Fleet Feet training, which made a huge difference. I’m really grateful for them.”
Fleet Feet's training programs provide runners like Meyers with structured plans to help them achieve their fitness goals. Meyers has been running for years, and just a year after her initial diagnosis at age 18, she completed her first half-marathon.
“I told myself I would never run a marathon unless it were for a fundraiser,” she said. “I ran my first half-marathon on my first diabetes anniversary—my diaversary—in 2020. I did it with my roommate. So we made the half-marathon a tribute to type 1 diabetes. It’s been a tradition ever since.”
When Meyers found the Cellmates, she felt called to run more marathons.
“I want to make an impact and also better myself in the process,” she shared. “People hear ‘diabetes,’ and they think that exercise can’t be a part of their life, or they feel hesitant to exercise. And yes, it’s a little more difficult, but it’s always worth moving your body.”
Meyers operates on the philosophy that T1D should never control you.
“If you have goals, it might require extra planning and patience. Maybe an additional month of marathon training to really build a base and get used to running if you’ve never run before. But if you want to do something like this and you’re interested in it, just try it,” she encouraged. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t work out, at least you tried.”
“Living proof people with diabetes can do anything.”
John Sullivan, who has been living with T1D since age 8, echoed Meyers’ sentiment.
This Sunday’s marathon marked Sullivan’s first.
“I was never really the most athletic guy or a runner, nothing like that, but then I thought, why not?” Sullivan shared. “I had an ambition to get involved with diabetes charities for a while. I looked into a few, but what really stood out to me was the Chicago Diabetes Project’s singular mission to find a cure.”
Running with Cellmates won’t be Sullivan’s last contribution to the CDP. In November, for National Diabetes Awareness Month, Sullivan will host a Chicago Bears watch party where funds raised will go directly toward the CDP’s mission.
“We’re going to raffle off Cubs tickets, Seahawks tickets—we’re gathering all the prizes,” Sullivan shared. “We’re bringing people together for a good cause.”
Sullivan hopes participating in the marathon showed his loved ones and the city of Chicago that you can “still accomplish wonderful things in life despite having diabetes.”
“For me, showing them that is more empowering and more rewarding than any medal or finish line,” Sullivan said. “It’s recognizing that we’re living proof people with diabetes can still do great things.”
Effort Means Everything: “He won’t rest until he finds a cure.”
Effort is everything in marathon training, and resilience is crucial in the quest for a cure. The marathon acts as a fundraising vehicle for the CDP. The funds raised through the marathon are solely directed toward cure research.
Dr. Jose Oberholzer, the founder of the CDP, runs in the Chicago Marathon with Cellmates every year. He and his colleagues strongly believe that the scientific community has all the necessary elements to make cell-based therapy a practical option for millions of people living with diabetes.
He has been working tirelessly on these efforts since founding the organization back in 2004. Since then, the organization has never wavered on its crystal-clear mission to find a cure.
The results speak for themselves: The CDP shared that a patient of Dr. Oberholzer has been off insulin for over a decade, managing their health with immunosuppressants. While this outcome marks tremendous progress, the CDP’s ultimate goal is to find a cure that excludes immunosuppressants, which can have other harsh ramifications on the body.
“You obviously don’t want to have to give immunosuppressants to anybody, but I think we’re going to see some real changes and real progress over the next couple of years,” Dine said.
Dr. Oberholzer’s commitment and passion for finding a cure are what initially drew her to the org.
“He never ceases to amaze us,” she shared. “The first time I met him, I was so nervous. I thought he was the most amazing human ever, and I still do. I actually have a picture from one of the first marathons we did with our son, who was probably four or five at the time, looking up at Dr. Oberholzer. He was his hero. Clayton wouldn’t speak to him, but it was still the cutest picture. I cry every time I see it.”
Navigating Setbacks: Pushing for FDA Approvals
COVID delayed the CDP’s efforts for several years as approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) slowed due to the need to fast-track COVID-19 vaccines. Although this setback was frustrating for the CDP team, they recognized a promising future.
In June 2023, the FDA finally approved Latrindra, a breakthrough treatment approved for adults with T1D who experience severe hypoglycemia despite intensive diabetes management and education. This drug is the first FDA-approved allogeneic cellular therapy made from donor pancreatic islet cells for the treatment of T1D.
Dr. Oberholzer, who is the Chair of the Department of Visceral and Transplant Surgery at the University Hospital in Zurich and an Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), played a key role in developing Latindra.
Dr. Oberholzer has been leading the UIC Islet and Pancreas Transplant Program since 2003.
“It’s been amazing to see all this progress that we’ve been making in the past 10 to 15 years,” Dine reflected. “Watching it all come to fruition has been really amazing, and we’re so fortunate to play a part at the CDP.”
Milestones and “Prison Breaks”
This year, Cellmates on the Run fundraised a milestone of $229,000. Dine sees a future where that number continues to grow, expediting the pathway to a cure. She aims to double the number of runners on the CDP marathon team within the coming years.
The CDP recruits runners for the Chicago Spring Half-Marathon, NYC Marathon, and Chicago Marathon each year. Anyone can participate. The CDP is always seeking new, passionate runners to support its mission—one that many members of the diabetes community share: the goal to be cured of diabetes within five years. An old adage deserves a retirement plan.
The Cellmates, while named after islet cells that play a vital role in regulating blood glucose levels and producing hormones like insulin, are sometimes mistaken for incarcerated groups, but don’t let the name confuse you. When referring to the cells in a person’s body, it also brings to mind the prison of T1D, which millions of diabetes community members deserve to break free from.
With the CDP’s help, that future looks possible for current generations.
Interested in getting involved with the Chicago Diabetes Project but unsure where to begin? You can donate, participate in a marathon, fundraise for the organization, or find out if you’re eligible for Islet Cell Transplantation at chicagodiabetesproject.org. For more information, contact Jill Dine via email at jill@chicagodiabetesproject.org.
Get Involved
Donate
A Lasting Cure Starts with Your Help.
Participate
Train for a Marathon with Cellmates on the Run.
Fundraise
Organize a Fundraiser with us.
Islet Cell Transplantation
Are you eligible? Find out.
1.6 Million
200,000
1.4 Million
64,000
< 1/3
$16 Billion
Americans living with Type 1 Diabetes
Americans < 20 years old living with T1D
Americans > 20 years old living with T1D
Americans diagnosed with T1D each year
Americans with T1D consistently achieving target blood-glucose control levels
Annual U.S. T1D-associated healthcare expenditures and lost income
Our Team
Clinical Translation and Trials
Beta-Cell Testing Core Facility
Inflammation Research
Biomaterial and Encapsulation Research
Expandable Islet Cell Source Research
Foundation Board Members
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News
The Latest from the CDP
On June 28, 2023 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lantidra, the first allogeneic (donor) pancreatic islet cellular therapy made from deceased donor pancreatic cells for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Lantidra™ (donislecel) is an innovative treatment approved for adults between 18-70 with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who continue to experience severe hypoglycemia and accept to take immunosuppression. It is the first FDA-approved allogeneic cellular therapy, using donor pancreatic islet cells, specifically designed to treat T1D. University of Illinois is getting ready to launch this in the very near future.
University of Illinois Clinical Trial to begin soon. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have worked with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals to develop an encapsulation technology for type 1 diabetes. Patients over 18 will receive encapsulated porcine islet allowing them to function without immunosuppressive drugs. This breakthrough could lead to a new way to regulate blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes patients. This is the first in the U.S.
Stem cells reverse woman’s diabetes — a world first
Patient is the first person with type 1 diabetes to receive this kind of transplant.
Shusen Wang, first author, was a post doctoral student with the Chicago Diabetes Project at the University of Chicago at Illinois.
This report details the one-year results for the first patient in a clinical trial using islet cells derived from the patient’s own stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes. Transplanted under the abdominal muscle, the cells began producing insulin 75 days after the procedure. By four months, the patient’s blood sugar remained in the target range almost all the time, with normal long-term glucose levels.
Throughout the year, the patient maintained excellent blood sugar control, spending over 98% of time in range, with no transplant complications. These positive outcomes indicate that this method of islet transplantation holds promise for further study.
Advanced Microencapsulation Strategies for Islet Transplantation as a Potential for a Functional Cure
Transplanting pancreatic islet cells can help people with type 1 diabetes control blood sugar, but human patients often face immune reactions and complications with current encapsulation methods.
In this study, researchers tested seven alginate formulations in non-human primates. While all triggered immune responses, three specially modified versions reduced these reactions. The most effective, called Z1-Y15, protected the islet cells for four months without immune-suppressing drugs, showing potential for long-term success in humans.
This technology will next be tested in clinical trials at the University of Padua in Italy, followed by trials in Zurich and Chicago.
Research Programs
1. Clinical Islet Cell Transplantation
Using islet isolated from donated organs and system immunosuppression to prevent rejection and recurrence of type 1 diabetes. The main goal is to obtain FDA approval and, subsequently, approval by Medicare and insurances for reimbursement. This would allow 1,000 to 2,000 patients a year, in the United States alone, to receive an islet cell transplant - this can improve the control of blood sugar levels and, in most patients, lead to long-term insulin independence.
2. Encapsulated Islet Cell Transplantation
Using islet isolated from donated organs, but without long-term immunosuppression. A biomaterial shell protects the islets from rejection. We are working with an international team on bringing this to clinical application in 2022. While this will still limit the number of transplants to 1,000 - 2,000 patients a year, it would be an important proof of concept for use in future, stem cell derived islets, that may have unlimited availability.
3. Unlimited Islet Cells
Identify a safe and practical source of unlimited islet cells that could be transplanted in patients using encapsulation technologies. We are working with experts in stem cell biology, as well as teams working on pig islet cell transplant approaches - two possible sources for less limited applications than cadaveric islets from donated organs.
The Chicago Diabetes Project/Cellmates on the Run Foundation is pleased to announce we have received our first 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator.
We’re proud to receive this rating, because it reflects our deep commitment to finding a functional cure for type one diabetes through islet cell transplants.
A 4-star rating means that when you donate to the CDP, you can be confident your donation will be spent wisely – on cutting-edge research to further our one mission:cure type one diabetes.