Islet transplant lab - first of its kind in the state

FOR patients with Type 1 diabetes, a world without needles would be a blessing. And researchers are hoping to grant just that blessing after the opening of one of the first Islet Transplantation Laboratories in Australia.

Researchers at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Basil Hetzel Institute have joined forces with Westmead Hospital in Sydney and St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne to develop the islet transplant program.

So what is an islet and why do they need to be transplanted? Islet cells produce insulin, the very substance type-1 diabetics are lacking. By developing transplants from a donated pancreas into a patient’s liver, the cells begin producing insulin and the need for constant and regular insulin injections is gone.

After the cells have been transplanted, the recovery time is fast. The cells begin to produce insulin immediately and reach their peak about four weeks later. Many tests are done to ensure the glucose level is stable. Unfortunately, like all organ transplants, anti-rejection drugs are needed. The side effects of these, however, far outweigh any the constant risk of unstable blood sugar levels.

So far 500 people around the world have received successful transplants. The laboratory will allow researchers to perfect the art of removing islet cells and transplanting them.

This laboratory is part of the South Australian and Northern Territory Islet Program (SANTIP) which received funding from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Federal Government. The program also has support from the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital and The Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science.

At least 2000 new cases of Type 1 diabetes are diagnosed each year and currently about 140,000 people in Australia have the disease.