Many folks find it tough to grasp how their body regulates blood sugar. Alpha and beta cells, which are within clusters called “Islets of Langerhans” and are located in the pancreas, are key to this process. This piece will break down what these important endocrine cells do and how they affect your well-being, especially in…
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering are conducting a study using vascularized islets. The islets are derived from human stem cells in the lab to treat type 1 diabetes. Once the blood vessels grow into the islets and are rich in oxygen, they will be transplanted into the body. Therefore, will…
DIABECELL is a cell therapy where insulin producing islet cells are taken from the pancreas of a pig. The islets are then encapsulated into an alginate material. The encapsulated porcine cells are then implanted into the abdomen of patient’s with type 1 diabetes. It’s done via an easy laparoscopic procedure. After the procedure, the self-regulating…