Intended for researchers and clinicians who work with cell transplantation, this text discusses the latest methods and gives an overall update of the major fields of islet transplantation. Included are reports of recent clinical trials on successful islet transplantation in humans.

Diabetes Mellitus is the principle cause of kidney failure and blindness in adults and leads to more cases of amputation and impotence than any other disease. It is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. The aims of pancreas or islet transplantation are to improve the quality of life of patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and to ameliorate secondary complications. This book provides a comprehensive and international review of the recent advances in pancreas and islet transplantation. It covers surgical techniques, issues surrounding organ preservation, immunosuppression and the control of other complications, all of which contribute to the potential for such transplantations to evolve as the treatment of choice for insulin dependent diabetes. The editors have compiled a strong and international team of contribution authors. This book is essential reading for transplant surgeons and all those involved in researching or treating diabetes mellitus.

Transplantation, Bioengineering, and Regeneration of the Endocrine Pancreas, Volume 1, sets a new standard in transplant and regenerative medicine. The book details the-state-of-the-art in modern whole pancreas and islet transplantation, including donor selection, immunosuppression, complications, allograft pathology, and more. As regenerative medicine is changing the premise of solid organ transplantation, this volume catalogs the technologies being developed and the methods being implemented to bioengineer or regenerate the endocrine pancreas in order to more effectively treat diabetes. Edited and authored by unparalleled leaders in the field, this new volume argues for a much needed synergy between organ transplantation and regenerative medicine. Provides comprehensive and cutting-edge knowledge of whole pancreas and islet transplantation Includes sections that address donor selection, immunosuppression, complications, allograft pathology, and more Offers an update on the progress of regenerative medicine research aimed at beta cells replacement in the treatment of diabetes

This new edition provides an authoritative account of the current status of whole organ pancreas transplantation and islet and pancreatic stem cell transplantation, reflecting recent advances in the field, including the growing interest in stem cell research applicable to this condition.

Pancreatic islets make up the endocrine pancreas and they contain the only source of insulin in the body, beta cells. Hence, access to high quality preparations of pancreatic islets is fundamental for in vitro studies and to test pre-clinical applications in animal models in vivo. Access to healthy human islets is also crucial to improve transplantation procedures for diabetes. Given the susceptibility of pancreatic islets to the enzymatic digestion and mechanical stress required to obtain them, the isolation of islets is often considered as the delicate “work of a craftsman”. This book, which is aimed at beginners and experts alike, is a survey of the current state-of–the-art in this field and it centres on the challenges, pitfalls and peculiarities of pancreatic islet isolation in the different species used in pre-clinical and clinical applications. It explores the similarities and differences between human islets and those from other relevant species (rodents, pigs and non-human primates), and how these influence islet isolation. The ultimate goal of this book is to improve the outcome of islet isolation and transplantation in pre-clinical and clinical applications.

Pancreas and Beta Cell Replacement is the inaugural volume of the Regenerative and Transplant Medicine series. The idea for this new book series spawned from the observation that the regenerative medicine field is progressing at such a fast pace that the way we currently think and practice transplant medicine is rapidly changing, faster than we could ever imagine. This series was therefore conceived to bring together experts from both the transplant and regenerative medicine fields, to share knowledge first, but also to introduce the transplant audience to the remarkable progress that has occurred in regenerative medicine over the past few decades. At the same time, we intend to illustrate to researchers and operators in the regenerative medicine field the numerous platforms that transplant medicine offers for the application of their technologies. To the publisher and the editors of this series and volumes there is no doubt that regenerative medicine will shape and define the future of transplant medicine. This volume focuses on pancreas and beta cell replacement and illustrates how progress in biomaterial sciences, stem cell biology, gene editing, cell, tissue and organ bioengineering and regeneration, along with advances in xenotransplantation are revolutionizing the field. Written by the world’s experts in the fields of pancreas, islet and xenotransplantation, as well as regenerative medicine, it represents a valuable educational tool for those in the fields of clinical transplantation, researchers in the field of regenerative medicine, transplant medicine, diabetes and immunology, as well as for medical and health science students, those in academia, the biotech industry and regulatory agencies working to advance the field. At the end of the book, it will become clear to the reader that beta cell replacement offers a vast array of platforms for the application of regenerative medicine technologies to transplant medicine. First volume in the Regenerative and Transplant Medicine series, focusing on the pancreas Includes an overview of the field, including developments of transplantation methods and techniques Builds on previous works and demonstrates how regenerative and transplant medicine work together to provide an increased ability to improve health care outcomes for individuals