Islet Transplantation at Emory
The Emory Transplant Center has joined a select few institutions throughout the world in the investigation of islet transplantation, a procedure that has shown great potential for type 1 diabetes treatment.
The "Islets of Langerhans" or "islets" are clusters of cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is released by the islets in response to glucose levels in the blood. Insulin allows the body to use the glucose to produce energy. People with type 1 diabetes have lost the ability to produce insulin. They must take insulin injections several times a day to control their glucose levels in order to stay alive. Islet transplantation in the United States, and at Emory University, is still being researched. Because recipients of islet transplants must take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, at present islet transplantation as a type 1 diabetes treatment is only appropriate for patients with the specific problems associated with brittle diabetes.
The islet cell transplant process begins when a pancreas from an organ donor becomes available. The islets from the pancreas are separated from other cells in the pancreas through a process called "islet isolation." The isolation process is a highly complex and intense process. The islets are then infused into the liver of the recipient. Dramatic progress in islet isolation has resulted in sustained insulin independence in individuals with type 1 diabetes, perhaps making islet transplantation more prevalent in the foreseeable future.
Researching a Suitable Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
Choosing to participate in a research study is an important personal decision. This information is designed to answer questions that a potential islet transplant patient may have. The content is general in nature. If you are interested in islet transplantation, we hope that this information will help you make an informed decision concerning the possibility of this type 1 diabetes treatment as an option.
The study is conducted under the oversight of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) whose purpose, in part, is to "protect public health by assuring the safety of human drugs and biological products." An investigational new drug application was submitted to and approved by the FDA. This approval allows us to conduct this study.
The study of islet transplantation as a type 1 diabetes treatment is also overseen by Emory's "Institutional Review Board" (IRB). The IRB is a research oversight committee charged with assuring that appropriate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in approved research studies. The IRB approves an application for research programs as well as an "informed consent." The informed consent is signed by the patient before any research is conducted. It explains the study purpose, duration, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives, contact names, confidentiality, compensation/costs, voluntary participation/withdrawal, new findings, and entitlement of consent forms.
View the video about Emory performing the 1st islet cell transplant in the state of Georgia
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