Transplantation of porcine fetal pancreas to diabetic patients.
Transplantation of fetal porcine islet-like cell clusters (ICC) reverses diabetes in experimental animals. We have now transplanted porcine ICC to ten insulin-dependent diabetic kidney-transplant patients. All patients received standard immunosuppression and, at ICC transplantation, antithymocyte globulin or 15-deoxyspergualin. ICC were injected intraportally or placed under the kidney capsule of the renal graft. Four patients excreted small amounts of porcine C-peptide in urine for 200-400 days. In one renal-graft biopsy specimen, morphologically intact epithelial cells stained positively for insulin and glucagon in the subcapsular space. We conclude that porcine pancreatic endocrine tissue can survive in the human body.
Department of Transplantation Surgery, Karolinska Institut, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm.
C G
CG
Groth
O
O
Korsgren
A
A
Tibell
J
J
Tollemar
E
E
Möller
J
J
Bolinder
J
J
Ostman
F P
FP
Reinholt
C
C
Hellerström
A
A
Andersson
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D002096:C-Peptide