Islet Transplantation in Immunoseparating Membranes for Treatment of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Summary

Despite remarkable progress in treatment life expectancy of insulin-dependend diabetics is limited by the onset of life threatening complications. These could be avoided by an optimized glucose hemeostasis only as it has been shown by experimental islet transplantation. Successful transplantation of islets encapsulated in immunoseparating membranes (bioartificial pancreas) would circumvent problems of islet availability and rejection. In this article macro- and microencapsulation as the two major principles are evaluated. Present limitations are discussed under technical and immunological aspects and directions for future research are addressed. Progress in the development of immunoseparating membranes and devices for treatment of insulin-dependend diabetes and finally their clinical introduction will permit the application of this technology in other endocrine deficiency syndromes.

Key words

Diabetes - transplantation - bioartificial pancreas - microencapsulation - islets of Langerhans