Dear Docs and science friends,
Cell transplant may cure diabetes Trials of a new treatment for diabetes
could lead to a cure for the disease within 10 years, researchers say.


Doctors at Oxford's Churchill Hospital are trying to perfect the
transplant of insulin-producing clusters of pancreas cells (islets) into
patients' livers.

The cells then enable the patient to make their own insulin, which
regulates blood sugar levels, like non-diabetics.

It is hoped the new treatment may end the need for patients to have
pancreas transplants or daily insulin jabs.

By reversing diabetes we hope that we will prevent the long term
conditions of the disease ... such as blindness and kidney failure

Paul Johnson
Director of islet transplantation programme


The research team hopes its trials, in adult patients with type 1
diabetes, will lead within the next five to 10 years to the perfecting of a
simple operation that can reverse the condition in both children and adults.

The technique involves the removal of the clusters of cells - known as
islets - from a donated pancreas in highly sterile conditions.

The cells are then injected directly into the patient's liver in what is a
fairly simple procedure.

Director of the islet transplant programme and expert in paediatric
surgery Mr Paul Johnson said: "The real advantage of islet transplantation in
the future is that we hope we will be able to prevent children from having to
have regular insulin injections.

"Also in the long term by reversing diabetes we hope that we will prevent
the long-term conditions of the disease which develop 20 to 30 years later such
as blindness and kidney failure."

Currently, the cell transplant requires high doses of anti-rejection drugs
which present a danger to children.

Daily injections

So before they can even by trialled in young people, a process where these
drugs are not needed has to be developed, Mr Johnson said.

Although his team also hopes to revolutionise treatment within the next
decade, they acknowledge the process is still "quite inefficient".

The trials are taking place at a new £1.2 million facility funded by the
Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation (DRWF) based within the Oxford Centre
for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Here, the focus is on ensuring exceptional levels of cleanliness and staff
have to pass through rooms which become progressively cleaner.



The transplant technique was originally pioneered by researchers from
Oxford University and more recently improved by a team in Edmonton, Canada.

DRWF executive director Sarah Bone said her organisation had funded the
research facility because of its potential benefit to child patients.

'Everything to us'

She said it was important diabetics were given some hope and that it was
thought a cure could be found within five to 10 years.

She said: "They (diabetics) need some hope, they need to have something to
work towards. It's good for us to be able to give them some information about
islet cell transplantation."

Six-year-old Emily Bates has had to have daily insulin injections since
she was 16-months-old.

Her mother Jane Bates, of West Hendred, near Oxford, said they were very
intrusive to her daughter's daily life and were difficult to administer.

She said of the potential breakthrough: "It means everything to us.

"To think that by the time she is a young women she won't have to have all
these restrictions on her."

Jo Brodie, Islet project co-ordinator at Diabetes UK, said the new
purpose-built facility would enable researchers to build on the initial islet
research it had funded.

"Research carried out at the facility will also help further our
understanding of what causes diabetes, taking us another step closer in finding
a cure."



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