Pancreatic islet transplantation is an experimental treatment for type 1 diabetes. Because this is an experimental procedure, islet transplantation may only be performed as part of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-allowed clinical trial.

In the type of islet transplantation used to treat type 1 diabetes, also called islet allo-transplantation, doctors take islets with healthy beta cells from the pancreas of a deceased organ donor. Doctors then inject the healthy islet cells taken from the donor into a vein that carries blood to the liver of a person with type 1 diabetes. A person receiving a transplant is called a recipient. These islets begin to make and release insulin in the recipient’s body. More than one injection of transplanted islet cells is often needed to stop using insulin.

Researchers hope that islet transplantation will help people with type 1 diabetes

improve their blood glucose levels

lower or remove the need for insulin injections

better recognize symptoms of low blood glucose, also called hypoglycemia

prevent severe hypoglycemia, which is when a person’s blood glucose level becomes so low that he or she needs help from another person to treat the hypoglycaemia

A whole pancreas transplant NIH external link is another procedure that can give a person with type 1 diabetes healthy beta cells. However, a pancreas transplant is a major surgery that carries a greater risk of complications than an islet transplant

Last Updated on: Jul 03, 2024