Pancreas transplant gives hope to type 2 diabetes

A new hope for patients with type 2 diabetes. According to a new survey, they showed that a few patients with type 2 diabetes have been selected for a pancreas transplant. Obesity is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes, the body develops a resistance to insulin, usually in the middle age.

Pancreas transplantation, giving new insulin-producing cells, is one option for those with diabetes, but is usually only a consideration for those with the type 1 condition. So it's perhaps surprising to learn, from a survey of US transplant centers, that two per cent of those selected have type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Yale University, who did the study, observe that this is highly uncommon and noted that most centers do not accept obese patients or those over 60. The fact that pancreas transplantation, nevertheless, worked for those type 2 diabetics is encouraging. It's a new option for those with the condition, but should still be considered the exception, because of the shortage of transplant organs.