The Islet Confidential: Recent Trends and Perspectives in Pancreatic Islet Transplantation

Abstract

Diabetes ranks among the top 5 killer diseases of the current world population. Transplantation of pancreatic islets is a common surgical procedure used to combat the late stage diabetic complications. A successful and long lasting islet transplant is an enigma as the complex immunoactivation mechanisms against the transplants, the subsequent graft rejection and the proper maturation and functioning of the islets in the host microenvironment, are the subjects of research for many years. This review details certain recent studies performed upon primate, porcine, murine and rabbit models, in relation to islet transplantation, with a critical standpoint.