Diabetes Researchers Pioneer Islet Cell Xenotransplantation

[Angel]

A team of researchers successfully transplanted insulin-producing neonatal porcine islet cells into monkeys -- a procedure experts say represents a promising intermediate solution to the critical supply problem in clinical islet cell transplantation.

Researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University in Atlanta, and the Emory Transplant Center all took part in the breakthrough transplant. "Our work at the U of A and Emory, along with recent work at the University of Minnesota, is very exciting and shows that xenotransplantation [animal to human transplants] in humans may soon be possible, thus solving the islet supply problem," says study author Ray Rajotte, M.D., a professor of surgery at the University of Alberta.

Using a relatively simple and reproducible method of obtaining large numbers of islets from neonatal pig pancreata developed at the U of A, researchers transplanted islets comprised of endocrine and endocrine precursor cells into the monkeys. In prior studies, these cells show to proliferate, differentiate and reverse hyperglycemia in immunodeficient diabetic mice and allogeneic out-bred pigs.

"To meet the needs of millions suffering from type 1 diabetes, we must find new donor sources to allow large-scale application of islet cell transplantation in humans," says Christian Larsen, M.D., of the Yerkes Research Center. "While there is much work to be done these studies suggest that the rejection response to procine islets can be surmounted."

[srijana]

Here is something interesting going on at University of Massachussetts:


"Transplantation provides a means to treat not only the primary defect in diabetes (the absent islets of Langerhans), but also the organs damaged through secondary complications (such as the kidney). Our laboratory has demonstrated that donor specific transfusion and treatment with anti-CD40L antibody results in permanent islet allograft survival and prolonged skin allograft survival in mice. We have also observed that this system can prolong xenografts of rat tissues in mice. Our method of tolerance induction does not cause generalized immunosuppression.

Prior to clinical application of our two element protocol, the feasibility of its effectiveness is being tested in primates. Our preliminary results suggest that our approach induces permanent allograft acceptance."
Principal Investigator is: Aldo Rossini

[embolus]

Ohhh!!!, hami medical breakthrough news haru padhchhau ani Dr. Srijana hajur le chai medical breakthrough nikalnu hunchha maile hajur ko introduction padhe, badhai chha tapai lai. xenomed ko member haru le ta dherai pragati gari rahh rahichhan.

[srijana]

Its exhilariting to hear such things...but i am really not doing much.