43-year-old Texas Woman with Type 1 Diabetes Now Off from Insulin Therapy After Islet Transplant

The results of a unique islet transplant procedure have shown a lot of promise and people who are suffering from type 1 diabetes can make use of it.

A team of doctors announced that a 43-year-old Texas woman who is part of the BioHub trial's pilot study is no longer using insulin injections following a minimally invasive transplant procedure.

According to the team from the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) of Miller School of Medicine in the University of Miami, Wendy Peacock was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 17.

Wendy, like the other sufferers, injects insulin on a consistent basis. Under the clinical trial, Peacock was given bio-engineered islet cells. The lab-designed organ has the ability to copy how the original cells work, allowing the restoration of insulin.

For the surgery, the team used a "biodegradable scaffold," made from the patient's own plasma and an enzyme. The scaffolding is then attached to the omentum. The scaffolding ensures the islets stay in place. Over the time, the scaffolding is absorbed into the bloodstream, leaving the islets intact. Blood vessels also form in the new organ, delivering the needed nutrients and oxygen that keep the organ alive.

The team from DRI hopes that soon they can perform the transplantation that no longer requires immune suppression.



Source: Medindia