Director: Prof. Itamar Raz

Tel: (02) 6778021

Statement of Purpose

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a devastating disease. As a result of changing lifestyles and increasing life-span, the incidence of diabetes is increasing, approaching epidemic proportions; in the older population, the prevalence of diabetes ranges between 10-20%.

The costs of managing DM is staggering. Individuals have to cope with increased expenditures for medications and treatment together with a declining income due to decreased productivity. A significant portion of the national health budget is devoted to the care of diabetic-related complications including blindness, renal failure, amputations, and accelerated cardiovascular disease.

Advances in molecular biology and medical technology have lead to significant improvements in treatment of many diseases such as cancer and heart disease. For DM, the discoveries made in the area of basic science have not yet been translated to improved treatment modalities that reduce morbidity and mortality among diabetics.

The Hadassah Medical Organization has set the improved care of diabetic patients as a strategic goal for the next decade. To utilize the unique human and physical resources available at the institution in the best manner, Hadassah has established the Hadassah Diabetes Center (HDC). HDC is made up of a multidisciplinary team of physicians and scientists, recognized experts in the field of diabetes both at the basic science and clinical levels. The overall goals of the HDC are to prevent diabetes in susceptible populations, to improve the quality of care provided to individuals with DM, and to institute new treatment modalities that either cure the disease or reduce the incidence and severity of its long-term complications.

Under the umbrella of the HCD, the following programs will be developed:

An Islet Cell Transplant Unit (ICTU) that will encompass a basic research unit devoted to finding alternative sources of beta cells, and a clinical unit for harvesting and transplanting pancreatic beta cells.

Regional outpatient Diabetes Care Center that will enable patients to receive advanced, interdisciplinary diabetes-related care at a single unit.

Clinical Diabetes Research Center (CDRC) that will conduct studies on novel therapeutic interventions.

Diabetes Education Center (DEC) that will provide continuing education to physicians, nurses, dietitian and other diabetes health providers. Members of the interdisciplinary DEC will acquire a leading role in defining state-of-the-art treatment guidelines for all facets of diabetes care.

Diabetes research center that will promote and coordinate basic and applied research related to diabetes and its complications.

Unit for applied research that will both facilitate the clinical and commercial developments by scientists at Hadassah, as well as provide a clinical foundation for the biotechnology industry in the field of diabetes.