A ne-w cell transplantation technique is being used by researchers in order to repair the cells that produce insulin in patients -with type 1 diabetes. The study, presented this -week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, sho-ws that the procedure is minimally invasive and -with fe-w complications.
one of the authors of the study explains that they used “ultrasound guidance to inject donor cells into the portal vein of diabetic patients, -which is accessed through the skin. This is a safe method of cell transplantation that could potentially become a sameday procedure”.
The experts explain that the body does not produce insulin in type 1 diabetes, -which results from the destruction of insulinproducing islet beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is the basic fuel that all cells need to metabolize sugar.
The study sho-ws that the used technique is minimally invasive, since donor islet cells is injected into diabetic patients so that the ne-w healthy islet cells can restore insulin production, -which is essential to stop disease advancement.
According to the study, fifteen islet cell transplantations -were carried out to 13 patients -with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, t-wo patients received t-wo procedures to achieve correct needle placement.
The expert in chief told that they used a steroidfree protocol in order to suppress the immune system, so that the body accepted the transplanted cells. “-we also developed a 'sand-wich technique' to close the access site through the skin, -where the islet cells is injected. The sand-wich technique is socalled because of the layered applications of gelfoam and coil used to close the access site”.