New diabetes therapy to save patients from needle

Published on Tuesday 17 November 2009 21:24

SCOTTISH patients with severe diabetes could be freed from daily injections of insulin with the launch today of a groundbreaking new cell transplant service.

The treatment involves extracting islets – the cells that produce insulin – from a donated pancreas. The cells are then injected into the liver of the patient with Type 1 diabetes – those who rely on insulin injections to control their condition.

The service will initially help a small number of patients with the most serious cases of diabetes who have had to live with constant blood sugar monitoring and the fear of coma due to low blood sugar levels.

It is hoped that the service – which has cost 137,000 to set up – will help around 12 diabetics in its first year.

The Islet Transplant Programme was set up by NHS Lothian, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Edinburgh University.

The Islet Isolation Laboratory in Edinburgh will be the only one in the UK which will operate 24 hours a day.