2008 Woodie Awards
Type I diabetes cure: Islet cell transplantation research
Erica Emmerich
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Pulse
Ten UIC health center patients successfully received islet cell transplantation as part of the "Chicago Project," a pilot study directed by Dr. Jose Oberhoizer. Since October 2004, the study has been successfully researching a preliminary cure for diabetes involving islet cells.
Kimberly Carlson of Lisle, Ill., was one of the 10 whom received islet cell transplantation at UIC. Carlson, among nine other type I diabetics, previously needed insulin injections to keep her blood glucose levels stable. After receiving islet cell transplantations, she no longer relies upon insulin, and her long term health is no longer in danger.
"I can now look forward to seeing my children grow up, because my diabetes is not causing damage to my eyes and other vital organs," Carlson expressed.
Due to the side effects of the immunosuppressant drugs, a goal of the Chicago Project is to encapsulate the pancreatic donor cells to hinder the body's rejection. Encapsulation prevents the body from recognizing the donor pancreatic cells as "foreign" and will not attack them, causing rejection.
"This grant will allow us to test microencapsulation technology in diabetic patients, which we believe will prevent rejection of the cells when transplanted, without immunosuppression drugs, while allowing the islets to function well enough to control a person's diabetes," states Oberhoizer.
Islet cells are located within the pancreas in clusters that are made up of several kinds of cells, including those that make insulin to control blood sugar. Type I diabetes has mainly been studied since it is seen as an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks its own pancreatic cells. Type II diabetes is where the body has lost its sensitivity to insulin, and is more stable than type I diabetes. Islet cell transplantation does not involve surgery. Instead, a needle is guided directly to the portal vein of the liver and the donor islet cells are injected.
Worldwide, Islet cell transplantation has been the topic of previous studies. In primarily type I diabetes, more than 60 medical institutions at least 850 transplantations have been accomplished. In some studies, about 80 percent of islet cell transplant recipients were able to stop taking insulin injections altogether and the majority of the remaining individuals are expected to decrease their insulin dosages. However, the longest period of time a person has been able to cease insulin injections with transplantation has been four years. More research is imperative to improving the effectiveness to transplantation.
Kimberly Carlson of Lisle, Ill., was one of the 10 whom received islet cell transplantation at UIC. Carlson, among nine other type I diabetics, previously needed insulin injections to keep her blood glucose levels stable. After receiving islet cell transplantations, she no longer relies upon insulin, and her long term health is no longer in danger.
"I can now look forward to seeing my children grow up, because my diabetes is not causing damage to my eyes and other vital organs," Carlson expressed.
Due to the side effects of the immunosuppressant drugs, a goal of the Chicago Project is to encapsulate the pancreatic donor cells to hinder the body's rejection. Encapsulation prevents the body from recognizing the donor pancreatic cells as "foreign" and will not attack them, causing rejection.
"This grant will allow us to test microencapsulation technology in diabetic patients, which we believe will prevent rejection of the cells when transplanted, without immunosuppression drugs, while allowing the islets to function well enough to control a person's diabetes," states Oberhoizer.
Islet cells are located within the pancreas in clusters that are made up of several kinds of cells, including those that make insulin to control blood sugar. Type I diabetes has mainly been studied since it is seen as an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks its own pancreatic cells. Type II diabetes is where the body has lost its sensitivity to insulin, and is more stable than type I diabetes. Islet cell transplantation does not involve surgery. Instead, a needle is guided directly to the portal vein of the liver and the donor islet cells are injected.
Worldwide, Islet cell transplantation has been the topic of previous studies. In primarily type I diabetes, more than 60 medical institutions at least 850 transplantations have been accomplished. In some studies, about 80 percent of islet cell transplant recipients were able to stop taking insulin injections altogether and the majority of the remaining individuals are expected to decrease their insulin dosages. However, the longest period of time a person has been able to cease insulin injections with transplantation has been four years. More research is imperative to improving the effectiveness to transplantation.
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Timm Gildea
posted 8/16/08 @ 2:52 PM CST
In reading this article I understand that there are risks with this or any transplant program. But I can testify that taking part in this UIC islet cell research study with Dr. (Continued…)
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