Visualization of Early Engraftment in Clinical Islet Transplantation by Positron-Emission Tomography

Abstract

To the Editor: Although islet transplantation is an option for patients with type 1 diabetes, even those who become insulin-independent after engraftment have islet-graft function that is estimated to be less than 30% of that in a healthy person.1 In fact, most patients resume insulin treatment within 2 years after transplantation.2 Islet-cell transplantation is accomplished by embolizing the islets by means of the portal vein into the liver.3 Because available tools to study transplanted islets have been limited, the liver has been considered a “black box” in clinical islet transplantation. Here we demonstrate the use of scanning with positron-emission tomography . . .