Pig
Cell Transplants for Diabetics
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Pig Cell Transplants for Diabetics
A leading New Zealand biotechnology researcher is to start trials in Russia next month on transplanting pig cells into diabetics, following claimed success with a test case begun in 1996. The trials will be carried out while health officials consider whether Professor Bob Elliott should be allowed to resume his work in New Zealand, where authorities are concerned about the possible spread of pig-borne disease. Elliott is medical director of Australian-based Living Cell Technologies (LCT), which said three regimens would be tested in Russia in order to find the most appropriate, long-lasting and effective transplant possible.
In a statement received on Saturday, LCT said it had recently published evidence showing the live pig “islet cells” transplanted into a human diabetes patient more than a decade ago are still producing insulin. “This has never been achieved before,” Elliott said. “It is a profound step forward for safe, effective and long-term diabetes control and shows the ability for pig cells to survive inside a human for an extended period of time and without immune suppression.” The patient, Michael Helyer, now aged 51, is certain the treatment received in 1996 has helped him. “It’s not about having fewer injections, it’s about getting more control. You can’t live a normal life if you’re in fear of (blood sugar) levels getting too high or low all the time,” he said.
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