Pancreas vs. islet transplantation: a call on the future.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this article is to review recent reports on whole pancreas and islet cell transplantation. It focuses on 'what the call to the future looks like' for both therapies as treatment options for those type 1 diabetes patients who do not respond well to conventional therapy.


RESULTS
The major benefit of pancreas transplantation is the reversal of diabetes improvement of diabetes complications. Although the procedure requires major surgery and life-long immunosuppression, it remains the gold standard for a specific population of patients who suffer from type 1 diabetes and who do not respond to conventional therapy. Allogeneic islet transplantation is a promising alternative to pancreas transplantation, but patient outcomes remain less than optimal and significant progress is required in order for this procedure to be considered a reliable therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Several factors have to be taken into consideration before making the decision of which of these procedures would better suit a patient with type 1 diabetes.
Vardanyan
Marina
M
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA.
Parkin
Edward
E
Gruessner
Christine
C
Rodriguez Rilo
Horacio L
HL
D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000266:history / Q000601:surgery*; D005544:Forecasting; D006085:Graft Survival; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D018579:Patient Selection; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents