New Insulin-Cell Transplant Method Created

Researchers at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University said they found a new way of developing successful insulin-cell transplants for people with type 1 diabetes.

Traditional transplant of such cells, accompanied by necessary immune-suppressing drugs, has had highly variable results, from well- to poorly tolerated, researchers said, noting part of the problem is an inability to track the so-called pancreatic beta cells once they’re in the body.

The new technique encapsulates the insulin-producing cells in magnetic capsules — using an U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved iron compound with an off-label use — that can be tracked by magnetic resonance imaging.

The product, tested in swine and diabetic mice, also simultaneously avoids rejection by the immune system, likely a major reason for transplant failure.

We’re really excited because we can track where we put the cells and make sure their protective housing stays intact and that the cells don’t move, said Assistant Professor Aravind Arepally, one of the study’s authors. This could solve the mystery of why current transplantation techniques work only for so long.

The research is reported in the online issue of the journal Nature Medicine.