Preserved Insulin Secretion and Insulin Independence in Recipients of Islet Autografts

THE amelioration of diabetes mellitus by the transplantation of pancreatic islets in animals has generated enthusiasm for the use of this procedure in humans with diabetes mellitus. If successful, islet transplantation would have advantages over transplantation of the entire pancreas. The procedure is shorter and easier, and the use of islets alone avoids the problem of exocrine drainage presented by the pancreatic allograft. However, there are only a few reports of transient successful transplantation of cadaveric islets in humans, 1 2 3 4 5 and information about the secretion of hormones by the islets after successful transplantation is scant. Do the various types of islet . . .