Does Islet Transplantation Eliminate Hypoglycemia?

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a recurrent problem for many people with diabetes. Successful transplantation of clusters (islets) of normal cells, that include those which produce the sugar-lowering hormone insulin, from the pancreas of a person who did not have diabetes into a person with diabetes should eliminate high blood sugar levels. We wish to determine if it will also eliminate low blood sugar. To do so we will give insulin to lower the blood sugar, measure the levels of the hormones that normally raise blood sugar levels (e.g., glucagon and epinephrine) and then stop the insulin and see if blood sugar levels return to normal. Because we anticipate that the transplanted islets will produce insulin, but not glucagon, this study may also tell us if regulated insulin production alone can prevent hypoglycemia in humans.

Official Title

Conditions

– Diabetes Mellitus

Study Type

Interventional

Study Design

Treatment, Non-Randomized, Single Blind

Further Details

Study Start

Eligibility & Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and above, Genders Eligible for Study: Both Accepts Healthy VolunteersCriteria Inclusion Criteria:Clinically stable, insulin dependent islet transplant recipients and matched nondiabetic healthy controls

Total Enrolment

Contact Details

[1] Philip E. Cryer, M.D. 1-314-362-7635 pcryer@imgate.wustl.edu[2] National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) US