Related Experiment Videos
Islet transplantation: clinical and experimental.
K Federlin1, B Hering, R G Bretzel
1Medizinische Klinik III und Poliklinik, Klinikum der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany.
Hormone and Metabolic Research. Supplement Series
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Islet transplantation successfully reversed diabetes in rodents, but faces challenges in humans due to immune rejection and technical issues. Promising new methods show potential for improving islet transplant outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
- Transplantation Biology
Background:
- Rodent islet transplantation models demonstrate successful diabetes reversal and prevention of long-term complications.
- Islets are highly immunogenic in allogeneic systems, necessitating immuno-alteration techniques for long-term survival.
- Human and large animal islet transplantation has yielded limited success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the success of islet transplantation in experimental diabetes models.
- To identify barriers to successful islet transplantation in humans and larger animals.
- To highlight promising advancements in overcoming transplantation challenges.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental diabetes models in rodents.
- Analysis of immuno-alteration techniques for islet survival (low-temperature culture, UV irradiation, cryopreservation, Ia-antibody pretreatment).
- Evaluation of outcomes in canine, porcine, and human islet transplantation studies.
Main Results:
- Syngeneic islet transplantation in rats reversed diabetes and prevented complications.
- Various immuno-alteration techniques improved allogeneic islet survival in experimental settings.
- Human islet transplantation has shown limited success, with patients rarely achieving insulin independence long-term.
Conclusions:
- Barriers to human islet transplantation include low islet yield, immunogenicity, and recurrence of autoimmunity.
- New strategies involving higher islet numbers and novel immunosuppressants like FK506 show promise.
- Further research is essential to overcome existing hurdles for successful clinical islet transplantation.