Xenoinjuts: New technique to treat diabetes

The organ transplant between humans is a relatively recent technique, which today seems normal to us (the first transplant in humans was performed in 1951 and was kidney).Thanks to scientific and technical advances, the survival of patients undergoing these treatments is increasing.However, one of the problems that doctors and scientists that work in this field are usually found is the insufficient number of organs that can be transplanted.That is, there is, and forgive me the expression, a problem of 'supply'.

The solution to this problem could partially populate with xenotransplants or xenoinjuts, that is, organs or animal tissues to humans.The first documented xenotransplants date from the seventeenth century, although it is at the beginning of the twentieth century when the first essays with some rigor begin to be carried out and already, at the end of the 60s, when it improves its development and some interesting results are obtained.

At present, the possibilities of these techniques are still being studied and, in this sense, it is worth highlighting the essays carried out by Dr. Robert Elliot, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Auckland (New Zealand) and his team, with pancreas cellsof pork

His works have focused on the treatment of patients with type I diabetes, in which the usual treatments did not provide adequate and stable control of their blood glucose.For this they have resorted to a "classic" in the treatment of diabetes that had long stopped being used;We talk about swine insulin that for more than 50 years has been used without problems thanks to its resemblance to human insulin.However, insulin has been administered in "another way", because, in these trials, insulin -producing cells from pork pancreas has proceeded, so that they are deposited on the patient's abdominal cavity.These cells, called islets, are encapsulated and thanks to this cover, the possible rejection of the immune system is avoided and on the other hand, it does not prevent the output of the insulin secreted by the pigs.In addition, these behave the same as normal pancreatic cells, so that after a meter the islets also secrete insulin, and stop doing so when it is not necessary, that is, they are self -regulated.

So far this type of treatment has been received by 17 patients, significantly improving the control of their disease.Although to properly control blood glucose, patients should continue to receive supplementary insulin doses, these are smaller than before treatment.

The results obtained in patients undergoing this xenoinjet are satisfactory and hopeful, taking into account that three years ago the first patient received this treatment and continues to respond well.However, the problem of "supply" would also exist if we take into account that in the world there are more than 20 million diabetics, unless news like this stimulate swine production, yes, of "very clean" pigs.

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