Future
Just as early studies showed islet transplantation's promise, research must now overcome the hurdles revealed by the recent islet transplant experience. New immunomodulatory agents offer the greatest hope of revolutionizing the field. New drug regimens capable of inducing tolerance to the transplanted islets would allow recipients to maintain their grafts without general immunosuppression and its associated toxicities. While many targets are currently under investigation, none are ready for clinical use.
Islet cells can also be encapsulated with a coating that protects them from the immune system, while still allowing the release of insulin.
Read more about this topic: Islet Cell Transplantation
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