Home » Cure » Islet cell transplantation approach With the fusion of technology and medical sciences, research has for long been experimenting the islet cell transplantation approach, as a cure for Diabetes Type I. As an endogenous treatment, islet cell transplantation has been in the scene for quite some time now, with the research being traced back to later half of 1960s. While it has had a long history, there are many controversies related to the method of treatment for diabetes. The method has been known for being more popular than the bioengineering approach, as a major surgery is not required in the process.

Islet cell transplantation approach is the method by which the isolated islet cells are transplanted onto the patients body in the liver, which helps to create glucose-controlling hormones. This is done by injecting into the vein the required islet cells, which then flows to the liver.

While a person weighing about 70 kilos needs about million islet cells, there is a need for islet cells from three dead human bodies. In the islet cell transplantation approach, separate islet cells are injected into the liver of the patient. There have been more and more patients who are adopting this method of treatment. However, there are certain problems in the islet cell transplantation, which act against the method. One is that when the islet cells are injected into the liver, the body reacts to the cells as it would towards the entry of any foreign particle. This ultimately leads to the destruction and consequent failure of the islet cells. The patient along with the islet cell injection must also take treatment for immunosuppression, a range of anti-rejection drugs. There is a range of side-effects to this, with some of them being weight loss, diarrhea, anemia and fatigue, among others. While there is still constant research on the reactions of the body once injected, there is also the risk of over-reducing the level of immunity, thus making the patient susceptible to other diseases. One of the ways of treating this is known as immunoisolation, which basically refers to the shielding of the islet cells with a semi-permeable protective layer.

There is another downside to the islet cell transplantation approach. This is the insufficient amount of islet cells available for transplantation. Though islet cell transplantation is known to considerably reduce the risks from Type I Diabetes, there are not enough islet cells for this method to be adopted clinically. On an average there is available merely 1000 to 1500 pancreas, of which about three to four are used for each patient. This is further added with the problem of finding the right donor, as not all tissue types are compatible with each body type. Moreover, the patient has to have immunosuppression treatment for his or her own life. At the same time, there can be added complications for patients having liver, lung and heart problems. There is ongoing research in the islet cell transplantation approach, on both humans and animals, with relative success. But while there are many complications in the approach, the whole process and the medicines are very expensive. There is a need for drugs which would help the body adjust better to the islet cells transplanted into the same.

Know more about other approaches to treatment for Type I Diabetes at Cure.