Pancreas Transplant

Islet Transplantation in Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

Islet transplantation is an innovative treatment for patients who have Type I diabetes. In this procedure, insulin-producing cells (islet cells) are taken from a pancreas from a deceased donor and injected into the vein in the recipient that takes blood to the liver.

In the United States, this is considered a research procedure, and each medical institution that performs it must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Currently, about 30 centers in North America are performing human islet transplantation.

Mayo Clinic has recently obtained FDA approval to offer islet transplantation as a research procedure, and is currently screening patients for islet transplantation in Rochester. A questionnaire has been developed to determine if a person would be a suitable candidate for the research procedure: http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/endocrinology_research/islet_transplant.cfm.

Bear in mind that islet transplantation is only offered to people with very specific requirements, and as such, very few patients may be suitable candidates. Based on the questionnaire responses, potential patients may be directed toward further evaluation for islet transplantation or toward one of several other Mayo Clinic programs that may be more helpful for individual needs.

For more information about islet transplantation at Mayo Clinic, call Deborah Dicke-Henslin at (866) 249-1648, or email pitx@mayo.edu.