New implant method to help diabetics
The 'islet' transplants are only given to patients who are suffering greatly from Type 1 diabetes, but many islet cells die within 2-5 years. The research suggests a better way to ensure the transplant is more effective. Image: firebrandphotography/iStockphoto A transplant procedure given only to those with Type 1 diabetes who pass out repeatedly from low blood sugar levels, or ‘hypos’, is likely to become much more effective as a result of a discovery made by a group of Australian researchers.‘Islet transplants’ (the transplant of islets from the pancreas, which contain insulin-producing cells) are not given lightly because recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their lives. As a result, transplant recipients are generally people who cannot regulate their blood sugar levels, and who lapse into comas, often without warning.However, many islets die within a week of transplantation, and most patients have to go back on at least some...