12 of 15 Diabetic Patients Insulin-Free After Islet Transplants

Twelve of 15 diabetic patients who completed receiving islet transplants in a multicenter followup trial of the so-called Edmonton Protocol are currently insulin-free, in some cases for up to a year, according to researchers with The Immune Tolerance Network.

The researchers said their success in replicating results originally achieved at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1999 and 2000 demonstrates that collecting islet cells from the pancreases of cadavers, and transplanting the islets into the livers of diabetic patients, can be a viable option to whole pancreas transplants.

However, while 12 patients are currently insulin-free and 16 others at various stages in their treatment have decreased insulin requirements, the researchers reported the islet transplants failed in six patients and two patients voluntarily withdrew due to side effects of the anti-rejection therapy.

"We're getting there," said Dr. James Shapiro, leader of the University of Alberta team that developed the protocol. "The multicenter trial is doing what we intended it to do -- to confirm that it can free patients from insulin, to prove that it can work in different places and to define and address the issues involved in making this viable treatment option for a greater number of diabetes patients."

But researchers emphasized that islet preparation remains a complex challenge, and also noted that the relatively small number of donor pancreases currently available leaves islet transplants far removed from becoming a mainstream option for most insulin-dependent diabetics.

"Even with a perfect islet preparation method, we will still be faced with a critical shortage of donor pancreases," said Dr. Robert Goldstein, Chief Scientific Officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. "So, as we've known all along, a new, alternative source is needed that provides islets in sufficient quantity and with consistent quality."

In the past several years, both the National Institutes of Health and the JDRF have invested heavily in the development of alternative islet sources, including adult stem cells and others.

Other Sources: Immune Tolerance Network