Islet transplantation in Japan —Report from Japanese Islet Transplantation Registry—

Abstract

Islet transplantation is promising to be capable of relieving glucose instability and improving QOL of type 1 diabetic patients whose severe hypoglycemic unawareness cannot be controlled. In Japan, a phase II clinical trial of islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes patients has been started using ATG induction and a TNF-α inhibition protocol. Primary endpoints for this trial are the proportion of subjects with HbA1c<7.4% who are free of severe hypoglycemic events one year after the first islet cell infusion. This trial will play an important role in establishing islet transplantation in Japan.