I was just watching the world news and it said that some doctors or engineers or someone grew a heart valve for someone and were growing something else for someone with cancer. Well, anyway, how come those people can’t grow us diabetics a new pancreas?
The pancreas is a much more complex organ than a heart valve (probably more complicated than the heart, in fact). There have been some murmurs of islet cell regeneration therapies along these lines, but not much.
It was an artificial windpipe, and the operation was apparently successful. It used adult stemcells from the eventual recipient, so no immuno-suppressants were needed and therefore no rejection. It was a huge step, but Ultravires is right - the problem is that a pancreas (or heart, lung, liver, etc.) is much more complicated. Just getting stemcells to become Beta cells (the ones that make insulin) is far too difficult now.
And then there is the problem that if the Beta cells were transplanted, they wouldn’t be rejected - but they probably would be attacked by our immune systems. Just like our immune systems attacked the Beta cells we were born with and made us T1 diabetic in the first place. (This would have a better chance with T2 for this reason).
This won’t be available anytime soon (way more than 10 years) - artificial pancreas (modified CGM/pump) should be here much sooner.
Oh no, Jackie. I was just wondering why I havent heard of a pancreas transplant. I dont feel bad about not having a cure. Thanks you guys for the replies. It makes sense why we dont have transplants 