Just got a news letter from the local JDRF chapter. One of the front page articles was about Isolet Transplants by some one who actually had it done! The fact that she's been insulin free for over a year is wonderful news!
I heard about this shortly after El was diagnosed as something that is on the horizon. The article I read involved using stem cells to generate as isolets then injecting them in the body and they implant themselves into the pancreas. This article talked about pulling the isolets from a donated kidney (or two) then injecting them.
One reason that I'm very hopeful about this possible procedure is that there is less chance of rejection. If there is rejection, it will hopefully just be the cells and shouldn't be the whole pancreas. But one thing that I've wondered about it is the rejection meds that you would have to take. Would the rejection meds be any better or worse than taking the insulin? I still have a lot of research to do on this, and I have a blog to read about this woman's journey through the transplant and recovery.
The hope of Isolet Transplants becoming a reality is what drives me to do fundraisers for JDRF. There are so many people who deserve some relief from the daily routine of keeping their blood sugars in check!
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