title: Clinical implementation of islet transplantation: A current assessment.
abstract: Beta-cell replacement is the only physiologically relevant alternative to insulin injections in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Pancreas and islet transplantation from deceased organ donors can provide a new beta-cell pool to produce insulin, help blood glucose management, and delay secondary diabetes complications. For children and adolescents with T1D, whole pancreas transplantation is not a viable option because of surgical complications, whereas islet transplantation, even if it is procedurally simpler, must still overcome the burden of immunosuppression to become a routine therapy for children in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bottino
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trucco
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology / Q000592:standards; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
keywords: diabetes; islet transplantation; pancreas transplantation