Abstract
Islet transplantation is a promising option for the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes that experience hypoglycemic unawareness despite maximal care. Islet transplantation has advanced significantly on several fronts, including pancreatic ductal protection, improved pancreas preservation systems, a new islet purification method, and culture／preservation of isolated islets. These techniques make it feasible to use these pancreata efficiently for islet transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes. The promising results afforded by islet transplantation, coupled with the shortage of cadaver pancreata relative to the potential demand, have lent strong impetus to the search for new sources of insulin-producing cells. The formation of new b cells from pancreatic stem／progenitor cells(pancreatic duct cells), embryonic stem(ES)cells, and induced pluripotent stem(iPS)cells is an active area of investigation. Recent progress in the search for new sources of b cells has opened up several possibilities for the development of new treatments for diabetes.
