Summary
Pills have been available for some time now to help type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar without annoying insulin injections. But the medicines do not work on type 1 diabetics, so, for them, shots remain a way of life. But now, researchers these days are putting the finishing touches on a new cell-transplant technique that may change things. The technique appears to help type 1 diabetics control their blood sugars without insulin injections.
Original source:
http://health.dailynewscentral.net/content/view/000399/31/
Details
Technique called "islet transportation" -- introducing cells that produce insulin to control blood sugar levels -- allowed patients with type 1 diabetes who received cells from a single donor pancreas to achieve insulin independence one year later, according to a study in the February 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical applications of biotechnology.
Type 1 diabetes remains a therapeutic challenge, according to background information in the article.
The success rate of islet (cells that produce insulin to control blood sugar levels) transplants has recently been increased markedly by transplanting a higher number of islets prepared from 2 to 4 donor pancreases.
However, for islet transplants to become a widespread clinical reality, additional advances are still needed.
In particular, restoration of insulin independence must be achieved with a single donor, as is also the case with pancreas transplants, to reduce the risks and costs and increase the availability of islet transplantation.
All eight recipients achieved insulin independence and freedom from hypoglycemia.
Five remained insulin-independent for longer than 1 year.
"Our results mark a distinct advance in islet transplant efficacy.
We not only achieved insulin independence using islets from only 1 donor pancreas [as compared with 2 to 4 in another trial], we also achieved superior glycemic control (as evidenced by normal results of oral glucose tolerance testing in 4 of 5 recipients with sustained
insulin independence) using significantly fewer islets," the authors write.
"These findings may have implications for the ongoing transition of islet transplantation from clinical investigation to routine clinical care," say the researchers.
"While these findings may suggest a distinct advance in islet transplantation, further study in a larger population with longer follow-up will be critical to assess the risk-benefit ratio of this emerging therapeutic option," the researchers conclude.
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Monday, February 28, 2005
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