According to a recent report released by the U.S. government, islet transplantation may one day become the standard curative therapy for severe or complicated type 1 diabetes. The report is the result of research conducted by Dr. Michel Appel, Ph.D. and his colleagues at the Islet Biology and Transplantation Research Program at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

More than 80% of the recipients of a transplant had a severe hypoglycemia incident in the twelve months before the transplant. After receiving the transplant none of the recipients experienced hypoglycemia for five months, and only two of the patients had hypoglycemia from months six to twelve.

Insulin requirements also dropped dramatically after transplantation. As of the last follow-up visit, 49% of the patients did not need insulin at all, and the ones who did require insulin did not need as much as before the transplant. Though the study was small, Appel and his associates believe that this treatment holds great promise for the future.

By Ellie Kuykendall