Pancreatic islet transplantation - INAHTA Brief

The objective of this study was to assess the safety, efficacy and conditions for performance of pancreatic islet (or islets of Langerhans) transplantation (IT) in several indications:

• patients with chronically unstable insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 diabetes) with preserved renal function (allogeneic transplantation);
• patients with insulin-dependent diabetes and renal failure (usually due to diabetic kidney disease) with an indication for kidney transplantation, in which case IT may be simultaneous or delayed (allogeneic transplantation);
• patients with insulin-dependent diabetes with a functional kidney graft and presenting an HbA1c level ≥ 7% or severe hypoglycaemia (allogeneic transplantation);
• patients at risk of insulinopaenic or insulin-dependent diabetes following extensive or total pancreatic surgery or following a pancreatic injury causing extensive or total devascularisation of the pancreas (autologous transplantation).

This work was also conducted with a view to registration of IT on the list of joint classification of medical procedures (CCAM) and funding by the national health insurance system in France.