1 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁Def ym ed ▁would ▁partner ▁with ▁the ▁Israel - based ▁K ad im ast em , ▁a ▁bio - ph arma ce ut ical ▁company ▁developing ▁stem - cell ▁based ▁reg ener ative ▁ther ap ies , ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁two - year ▁grant ▁worth ▁approximately ▁$ 1 . 4 7 ▁million ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁bio - art ific ial ▁pan cre as ▁that ▁would ▁treat ▁type ▁ 1 ▁di ab etes . ▁K ad im ast em ' s ▁stem ▁cell ▁technology ▁uses ▁different iation ▁of ▁human ▁emb ry onic ▁stem ▁cells ▁to ▁obtain ▁pan cre atic ▁end ocr ine ▁cells . ▁These ▁include ▁ins ul in - produ cing ▁beta ▁cells , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁alpha ▁cells , ▁which ▁produce ▁gl uc agon . ▁Both ▁cells ▁ar range ▁in ▁is let - like ▁clusters , ▁m im ick ing ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁pan cre as . ▁The ▁aim ▁of ▁the ▁partners hip ▁is ▁to ▁combine ▁both ▁techn ologies ▁in ▁a ▁bio - art ific ial ▁pan cre as ▁device , ▁which ▁releases ▁ins ul in ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁blood ▁gl uc ose ▁levels , ▁to ▁bring ▁to ▁clin ical ▁trial ▁stages . ▁ ▁The ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California ▁based ▁bi ote ch ▁company ▁Via Cy te ▁has ▁also ▁developed ▁a ▁product ▁aim ing ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁solution ▁for ▁type ▁ 1 ▁di ab etes ▁which ▁uses ▁an ▁enc aps ulation ▁device ▁made ▁of ▁a ▁semi - per me able ▁imm une