[Status of pancreatic organ and pancreatic islet cell transplantation]

The results of allogeneic clinical islet cell transplantation continue to be rather disappointing. However, results of clinical pancreatic transplantation in Type-I-diabetes are still improving: some centres (incl. the Munich centre) have reported a 1-year-graft survival rate of more than 70%. In 60-65% of successfully transplanted patients a normalisation of glucose tolerance can be achieved. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that successful pancreatic transplantation exerts a curative effect in Type I diabetes mellitus: Long term investigations have shown a subjective and objective improvement of diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, polyneuropathy and peripheral microangiopathy.