title: Human islet allotransplantation: world experience and current status.
abstract: Currently type-I diabetes mellitus is treated with exogenous insulin administration, but traditional insulin therapy does not prevent long-term systemic complications and therefore alternatives should be sought. Presently the only option is to substitute the insulin-producing beta cells in order to obtain a more physiological way to deliver insulin. Simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation is an established procedure. Pancreas transplantation, however, is a major surgical procedure with a high rate of complications. Transplantation of the isolated insulin-secreting islets of Langerhans is an alternative approach, which is easier and safer than whole organ transplantation. Since 1990, clinical trials of islet transplantation have begun in a few specialized centers worldwide and the International Islet Registry counting 305 human islet allografts at the end of 1995. Insulin independence at 1 year was achieved in 8% of the patients, but 20% of cases showed a graft function with a normal basal C peptide and improved glycemic regulation. We review here the different aspects of human islets of Langerhans allotransplatation, namely historical aspects, indications, isolation and purification procedures and the results obtained.
authors.affiliation: Transplant Bilogy Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cretin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bühler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caulfield
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oberholzer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mentha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morel
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005544:Forecasting; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014944:World Health Organization