Pancreatic Islet Transplantation: Immunoisolation of Pancreatic Islets v. 3

This volume addresses the area of tissue and cell transplantation as a major method for treating human disease. A number of immune-isolation systems have been developed and refined during the past several decades. Diabetes is likely to be the initial major disease to which this technology is applied. In this system, the transplanted tissue is separated from the immune system of the host by an artificial barrier. These systems offer a solution to the problem of human islet procurement by permitting use of islets isolated from criminal pancreases. They include devices anastomosed to the vascular system as diffusion chambers, macroporous membrane devices, and microcapsules. Recent progress in this area and specifically with these systems is discussed by the leading invesigators in the field.