An Australian lady patient, has become the first receipent of a simple transplant method for diabetes, which depends on seaweed
An Australian lady patient, has become the first receipent of a simple transplant method for diabetes, which depends on seaweed. She is believed to be the third patient world over,to have undergone this transplant procedure, an experiment that will not need anti-rejection drugs.
Janice Stewart was injected with about 200,000 pancreatic cells taken from a dead donor , which was arranged inside capsules made out of a seaweed product, alginate at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital. The procedure fairly simple , might enable Ms Stewart, of Cromer to resume her work within a day of surgery.Ms Stwerat who is 51, has needed insulin injection almost 4 tims daily eversince type 2 diabetes was diagnosed on her, when she was a little girl.Research leader Bernie Tuch, of the University of NSW, has expressed a lot of hope with this tranplant, which will certainly bring down the insulin requirement.The alginate capsules , which are microscopic, contain islets, insulin secreting pancreatic cells. "These capsules have pores, or little holes on their surface, small enough to block immune cells getting in to destroy the islets, or insulin-producing cells, but large enough to allow the entry of nutrients such as oxygen, glucose and so forth," explained Professor Tuch.
Ms Stewart, was absolutely awake when the procedure was performed and will all the media attention, expressed how priveleged she felt to be the first Australian to undergo this procedure. This being a minor procedure will not deter people from undergoing it.
Prof Tuch is of the opinion that to be completely weaned off insulin, the patients will need two to three transplants. This procedure will be pocket-friendly.
