title: Porcine Islet Xenografts: a Clinical Source of ß-Cell Grafts.
abstract: Diabetes is medical and social burden affecting millions around the world. Despite intensive therapy, insulin fails to maintain adequate glucose homeostasis and often results in episodes of hypoglycemic unawareness. Islet transplantation is a propitious replacement therapy, and incremental improvements in islet isolation and immunosuppressive drugs have made this procedure a feasible option. Shortage of donors, graft loss, and toxic immunosuppressive agents are few of many hurdles against making human allogenic islet transplantation a routine procedure.
  
  
  
  Xenografts-especially pig islets-offer a logical alternative source for islets. Current preclinical studies have revealed problems such as optimal islet source, zoonosis, and immune rejection. These issues are slowing clinical application. Genetically modified pigs, encapsulation devices, and new immune-suppressive regimens can confer graft protection. In addition, extrahepatic transplant sites are showing promising results. Notwithstanding few approved clinical human trials, and available data from non-human primates, recent reports indicate that porcine islets are closer to be the promising solution to cure diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 5.002 Li Ka Shing Bldg, 8602 112 Street, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada.|Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Bassem F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 5.002 Li Ka Shing Bldg, 8602 112 Street, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada. korbutt@ualberta.ca.|Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. korbutt@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Korbutt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Islet xenotransplantation; Porcine islets; Type 1 diabetes