thanks belinda

[Guest guest]

Wow! That is very interesting.

[Guest guest]

NEW ISLET CELL TRANSPLANT MAY AVOID SURGICALLY INDUCED DIABETES

A 36-year-old Chicago man is recovering from a partial pancreatectomy followed

by an auto-islet cell transplant at the University of Illinois Medical Center at

Chicago. The innovative dual procedure was performed in an effort to alleviate

the patient's severe, painful pancreatitis while preserving his ability to

secrete insulin and avoid surgically induced diabetes.

Surgeons first removed most of the diseased pancreas, leaving behind a small

portion of the organ, which may continue to produce enough insulin to support

the patient's need to metabolize sugar. However, approximately 30 percent of

patients who undergo this surgery develop diabetes. To greatly reduce this risk,

a second procedure called auto-islet cell transplantation was carried out using

the patient's own pancreatic islet cells.

This combined procedure has been performed in fewer than 50 patients in the

United States. A second procedure of this kind is scheduled this week at the

University of Illinois Medical Center.

" After a partial pancreatectomy, you never know if the patient will develop

diabetes until you find out the hard way, " said Dr. Enrico Benedetti, associate

professor of surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago and chief of

transplantation at the medical center. " By retaining a small portion of his

pancreas, and offering the patient an auto-islet transplant, his chances of

developing diabetes are minimal. "

After removing approximately 80 percent of the patient's pancreas, physicians

prepared the gland by breaking it down with an enzyme that isolates the

insulin-producing islet cells. The islet cells were then injected through a

catheter into a vein in the patient's liver, where they will graft and function

similarly to the removed pancreas. Following a successful transplant, the cells

will produce enough insulin to prevent the patient from developing diabetes.

Earlier this year, the medical center opened one of the world's most advanced

laboratories for isolating and transplanting the insulin-producing cells of the

pancreas in an effort to cure type 1 diabetes, the most severe form of the

disease.

" We were able to procure a very large number of high quality islet cells for a

successful graft, " said Dr. Cristiana Rastellini, director of cell transplant

and assistant professor of surgery and immunology at UIC. " I expect that these

islets will function very well. "

Rastellini is one of the country's leading experts in pancreatic islet cell

transplantation.

According to the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, chronic

pancreatitis has an incidence of 5-10 per 100,000 in the United States.

" The patient is doing well, " said Dr. Helton, chief of general surgery at

UIC who performed the pancreatic resection. " Following his discharge from the

hospital, he will be seen in our outpatient clinic, and at that time we will

evaluate whether he has insulin independence. "

Mark E. Armstrong

www.top5plus5.com

Oregon State Chapter Rep

Pancreatitis Association, International