Michael Revland

Michael Revland is a type 1 diabetes patient advocate who became the first patient in the OPF-310 trial. The study, led by Otsuka Pharmaceutical with the University of Illinois Chicago, transplants encapsulated neonatal porcine islets into the omentum through minimally invasive surgery and without immunosuppression. He had lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years when he received the xenotransplant. By six months he saw measurable insulin production, smoother glucose, and fewer severe lows, and his total daily insulin dose fell from about 45 units to about 25. The encapsulation device shields the transplanted islets from the immune system, which is what lets the approach avoid the lifelong immunosuppression that standard islet transplantation requires. He shared his experience publicly on diabetes programs including Diabetech and the Diabetes Nerd Network to inform the community about cure research.

Affiliation

Patient Advocate and Xenotransplant Trial Participant

Location

Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.