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Islet transplantation in the twenty-first century

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Abstract

Isolated islet transplantation is poised for clinical application to treat insulin-dependent diabetes. Unlike exogenous insulin therapy, islet transplantation has promise for preventing and/or reversing the dismal secondary complications of diabetes. Islet transplants are arguably the most unique type of allografts, and we discuss their properties, limitations, and potential in this overview. The induction of immunologic tolerance to allow islet grafts to endure and prevail, without the hardship of chronic immunosuppressive therapy, is a major goal in this field. In this context, we discussour successful results in preclinical models of primate allogeneic and xenogeneic islet graft tolerance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Transplantation Immunobiology, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, Birmingham, AL

    Frank T. Thomas MD, Anne Hutchings, Juan Contreras, Jianguo Wu, Xiao Ling Jiang, Devin Eckhoff & Judith M. Thomas

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  1. Frank T. Thomas MD
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  2. Anne Hutchings
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  3. Juan Contreras
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  4. Jianguo Wu
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  5. Xiao Ling Jiang
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  6. Devin Eckhoff
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  7. Judith M. Thomas
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Correspondence to Frank T. Thomas MD.

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Thomas, F.T., Hutchings, A., Contreras, J. et al. Islet transplantation in the twenty-first century. Immunol Res 26, 289–296 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/IR:26:1-3:289

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/IR:26:1-3:289

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