'Pig sushi' diabetes trial brings xenotransplant hope

[n2doc]

17:01 01 April 2010 by Wendy Zukerman
Four more people with diabetes will soon be implanted with high doses of living pig cells coated in seaweed, bringing the prospect of widespread animal-to-human transplants a step closer.

Several people in New Zealand and Russia with type 1 diabetes have already received the "pig sushi", known as Diabecell, and now New Zealand company Living Cell Technologies (LCT) has received approval from the country's health authorities to begin phase II human trials on the implants.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when insulin-producing cells in the pancreas called islets are destroyed. People with the disease must have daily insulin injections to normalise their blood glucose levels.

But this causes blood glucose levels to yo-yo, which can lead to cardiovascular and nervous system complications, shortening the lifespan of sufferers by a third, according to Bob Elliott, LCT's medical director.

more

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18730-pig-sushi-diabetes-trial-brings-xenotransplant-hope.html

[Jennicut]

1. I am a type 1 diabetic. I never would have thought about pig cells being used

to give insulin in the body. I have heard of islet cell transplantation being done but not something involving the use of animals.