Islet Transplants

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Islets (pronounced "eye-lets") are clusters of cells located in the pancreas.  Islets contain:

• beta cells that make insulin,

• alpha cells that make glucagon (another hormone that affects the amount of glucose in the bloodstream), and

• delta cells that make somatostatin (another hormone).

Together, these clusters of cells regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels.  Islets comprise only 2-3% of the pancreas.  People with type 1 diabetes have islets, but the beta cells in the islets either have been destroyed or are not functioning properly. Therefore, these people need to take insulin shots, use an insulin pump, or replace their islets by having a pancreas or islet transplant to help regulate their blood sugar.

Both pancreas transplants and islet transplants are viable options for people with insulin dependent diabetes. Pancreas transplants have been performed since 1966 and are a generally accepted standard of medical care (Pancreas Program). Pancreas transplants are very successful in helping people with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their blood sugar and reduce the long-term complications of diabetes. For the patient, getting a pancreas transplant is a major operation. Similar to a pancreas transplant, islet transplants help the body to regulate its blood sugar by replacing beta cells. For the patient, an islet transplant is a much simpler and safer procedure.