Melligen

Melligen is an investigational, genetically engineered human liver cell line designed to secrete insulin in response to glucose, being developed as a potential cell-based therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes, including type 1 diabetes. These cells were created by introducing and expressing glucose-responsive insulin secretion machinery in human liver cells by researchers led by Ann Simpson at the University of Technology Sydney, and are intended to be implanted within a protective encapsulation device (such as the Cell-in-a-Box microencapsulation technology) to avoid immune rejection while providing physiologic insulin release. Preclinical studies have shown that Melligen cells can reverse hyperglycemia in severely diabetic, immunosuppressed mice, supporting further development as a long-acting, implantable alternative to exogenous insulin injections.