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Tissue transplantation has been around for many centuries. In fact, some suggest that the first transplant occurred in India many centuries ago. Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that while islet cell transplant may offer some promise for those with advanced diabetes, it is not a cure for this condition. Diabetes causes high sugars to circulate in the blood stream. It is caused by lower levels of insulin or resistence to the effects of this hormone. High sugars can cause thickening of the walls of blood vessels and predispose to kidney damage, heart attack and blindness. The main treatment for advanced diabetes involves the injection of insulin. Islet cells are the cells of the pancreas, an organ in the body that is responsible for making insulin. Recently, significant research has been conducted to evaluate whether pancreas transplantation, in whole or in part, could cure diabetes. To perform their study, the researchers recruited 36 patients with advanced type 1 diabetes who had high sugars despite being on numerous medicines. Islet cells were taken from the pancreases of brain-dead donors, and were infused into a large vein in the liver, an organ that sits next to the pancreas. At 1 year, approximately 4 out of 10 patients no longer required insulin injections, but nearly one in three experienced complete graft loss. While nearly 60% were temporarily able to stop taking insulin at some point in the study, over 75% had to restart insulin injections within 2 years of having had the transplant. While islet cell transplantation appears to offer promise for those with advanced diabetes, is beneficial effects appear to be short-lived. Future research into this technique is required before it can be readily recommended.
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