Innovation Developed by DRI Scientific Director Makes Procedure Possible
Human, insulin-producing cells used for transplantation are currently obtained from the pancreas of a deceased donor. When an organ is identified and approved for transplantation, it is brought to the human cell-processing lab.
In the late 1980’s, a pivotal advance was made when Dr. Camillo Ricordi, DRI’s Scientific Director, developed the automated method for isolating these fragile cell clusters from a donor pancreas. This system dramatically increased the number of cells that could be obtained from one organ compared with previous, or established, methods and resulted in a surge in the number of islet transplants performed worldwide.
To learn more, watch this video about the Ricordi Chamber.
Simple, Non-Surgical Procedure
The islet transplantation itself is a relatively simple, non-surgical procedure performed in about an hour.
Using ultrasound guidance, a catheter (small tube) is inserted into the portal vein that leads to the liver. The patient remains awake for the entire procedure.
Similar to an intravenous (“IV”) drip, the purified islets flow by gravity from an infusion bag through this vein and are dispersed throughout the liver.
There, the transplanted cells develop a new blood supply (engraftment) and begin to produce insulin.