Islet Transplantation As Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by loss of insulin production, leading to hyperglycemia, and its associated complications. Treatments for type 1 diabetes have for decades relied on exogenous insulin injection, with dangerous side effects of hypoglycemic events. Islet transplantation offers a more permanent method to result in more reliable insulin response, however it still faces challenges from lack of donor and toxicity of immunosuppression. In this article, we will describe the history and current methods of islet transplantation and will briefly go into other research into alternate islet source and avoiding immunosuppression.