Originally published June 9 2005
Cell transplant may keep pancreatitis patients from developing diabetes
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago is the only hospital in the state, and one of only a few in the country, to offer patients an autologus islet cell transplantation to help pancreatitis sufferers from developing diabetes. Chronic Pancreatitis is a life-threatening disease which attacks and destroys the pancreas and other tissues. In the event of pancreatitis, the patient's pancreas must sometimes be removed to alleviate pain, but when the body's insulin producer is gone, it brings about diabetes. In this event, an autologus islet cell transplantation, using cells of the patient's own pancreas, is performed. Since the cells are from the patient's body, there is no risk of rejection. Despite its rarity, the procedure is not considered experimental, and is often covered by insurance.
Transplanting a patient's own islet cells is a simple procedure that can save pancreatitis sufferers from developing diabetes, but many are unaware the therapy exists.
The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago is the only hospital in the state and one of only a few in the country to offer patients autologus islet cell transplantation.
There is no risk of rejection, unlike other organ transplants, because the patient's own islet cells are used in the procedure.
Chronic pancreatitis, a life-threatening condition that destroys the pancreas and other tissues, often causes severe abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, nausea and vomiting.
Without a pancreas to produce insulin, these patients develop "surgical diabetes" and must take insulin for the rest of their lives.
"One of the major benefits of the procedure is that I don't need to take insulin," said 57-year-old Zenon Jezerski, a single father of three who received an autologous islet cell transplant on April 12 at the medical center.
The islet cells were then taken back to the operating room where they were injected through a catheter into a vein in the patient's liver.
"Autologous islet cell transplantation is most successful in patients who have not lost too many of their insulin-producing cells and who have not yet developed pre-diabetes," said Dr. Jose Oberholzer, associate professor of surgery and bioengineering at UIC and director of cell and pancreas transplantation at the medical center.
This group of 13 scientists and their contributing teams have committed to achieving a functional cure for diabetes in the next five years.
Chicago Project team leaders believe that the scientific community now has all the necessary ingredients to make cell-based therapy of diabetes an option for the majority of diabetic patients.
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