autologous islets of Langerhans

Autologous islets of Langerhans is a cellular therapeutic product consisting of a purified suspension of endocrine cells isolated from a patient's own pancreas. This therapy is primarily indicated for patients undergoing a total or near-total pancreatectomy, typically to treat the intractable pain of chronic pancreatitis, with the aim of preventing or mitigating the development of post-surgical (Type 3c) diabetes mellitus. The process involves removing the patient's pancreas, isolating the islets of Langerhans using enzymatic digestion and density gradient purification, and then infusing them into the patient's portal vein. The islets engraft within the liver sinusoids, where they function as an ectopic endocrine organ, secreting insulin, glucagon, and other regulatory hormones in response to physiological blood glucose levels. A significant clinical advantage of this autologous approach is the elimination of immune rejection risk, thereby avoiding the need for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy required in allogeneic transplants.

Other names

autologous islet cell transplantautologous islet transplantationislet autotransplantationIATTPIATtotal pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation