ISLET TRANSPLANTATION IN IMMUNOSEPARATING MEMBRANES FOR TREATMENT OF INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

Despite remarkable progress in treatment life expectancy of insulin-de pendend diabetics is limited by the onset of life threatening complica tions. These could be avoided by an optimized glucose hemeostasis only as it has been shown by experimental islet transplantation. Successfu l transplantation of islets encapsulated in immunoseparating membranes (bioartificial pancreas) would circumvent problems of islet availabil ity and rejection. In this article macro- and microencapsulation as th e two major principles are evaluated. Present limitations are discusse d under technical and immunological aspects and directions for future research are addressed. Progress in the development of immunoseparatin g membranes and devices for treatment of insulin-dependend diabetes an d finally their clinical introduction will permit the application of t his technology in other endocrine deficiency syndromes.