One animal health company is wanting your pet’s organs for research.  Likarda is the company, and it focuses on treatment for diabetic pets through a cell-based therapy. For decades, inslet cells have been taken from the pancreas of humans to help with diabetes.  The current cost of caring for a diabetic pet can be anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000.  Karphik Ramachandran, the company’s Vice-President and Co-Founder, says the company’s goal is to transplant islet cells in animals to make diabetes treatment more cost effective for their owners.

He says they have been testing these procedures on 3-D cell clusters, mostly on dogs, but they would like to broaden these tests.   He says the company hopes to go into clinical trials very soon.  Researchers would also look into testing this procedure on cats.