Researchers hope that islet transplantation will help type 1 diabetics to live without daily insulin injections. Islet transplantation is an experimental procedure where islets, or clusters of cells that produce insulin, are taken from a donor pancreas and transferred into another person.

To increase the success rate of the transplant, doctors have recently implanted a higher number of islets from two to four donor pancreases. However, many factors impede the widespread implementation of the transplant, such as negative risk factors, high costs, and the lack of availability.

To reduce these factors, researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis conducted a study to assess the effectiveness and safety of islet transplantation from a single pancreas. Eight women with type 1 diabetes received islet transplants and were studied for more than two years. All eight achieved insulin independence. Five women remained insulin independent for longer than one year.

"Our results mark a distinct advance in islet transplant efficacy," say the study authors. "We not only achieved insulin independence using islets from only one donor pancreas, we also achieved superior glycemic control using significantly fewer islets."

The authors conclude, "These findings may have implications for the ongoing transition of islet transplantation from clinical investigation to routine clinical care."