Description:
Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is used in people whose bodies cannot make insulin (or cannot make as much of it as they need). This could be because they have a form of diabetes known as type 1. Or it could be because they have had their pancreas removed as a treatment for pancreatitis. Insulin is important for controlling the balance of sugar in the body. It is made in special cells in the pancreas called islet cells.
With pancreatic islet cell transplantation, a person's islet cells are replaced with islet cells from a human donor. In some cases, it's possible to use islet cells from the person's own pancreas. These islet cells are usually put into the person's liver. If the procedure is successful, the cells re-start making insulin. Medicines called immunosuppressants often have to be taken to protect donor cells from being attacked by the person's immune system.
The usual treatment for people with type 1 diabetes and those who've had their pancreas removed is regular injections of insulin.
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