Re: [IPk] Are we getting there?
Hi
Of course I am pleased to hear about Richard Lane and his transplant but
must realise this is far from a cure for many of us.
I was put forward for this treatment at Kings but was turned down. I had a
very nice letter from Prof Amiel giving me the reasons why I was turned
down. The main one was insulin resistance. I was told that they obviously
only wanted to use patients with whom they had a strong likelihood of
success. She did say that this did not mean that I may not be considered in
the future.
However, shortly after this episode I was offered the pump and I have been
very pleased with it. Richard Lane also went on the pump about the same
time and I read in the local paper (I live in the same Borough) that he had
been offered this operation so was coming off the pump. I thought carefully
about this and came to the conclusion that with the number of operations
likely to be necessary to give sufficient insulin to do without injections,
the risks of operations, the infections of hospital stays and also the fact
that it is still necessary to take anti-rejection drugs I was not at all
sorry that I was not chosen.
I do hope it remains successful but I feel this is more a treatment for
newer diabetics who have as yet not got the complications and difficulties
so many of us have. He had had it for 30 years and I for 43 years. Sorry
if I sound a pessimist. It is a break through but the news is only quoting
some of the facts, obviously.
June
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Davis" <email @ redacted>
To: <email @ redacted>
Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 9:50 AM
Subject: [IPk] Are we getting there?
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> An article from one of my informants. I post it for your information.
>
> Regards
>
> John Davis
>
>
> Transplant cures man of diabetes
> A 61-year-old man has become the first person in the UK to be cured of
> type 1 diabetes thanks to a groundbreaking cell transplant technique.
> After receiving insulin-making cells from the pancreases of dead donors,
> Richard Lane of Bromley, Kent, no longer needs insulin injections.
>
> The King's College Hospital team said the breakthrough was hugely exciting
> for people with type 1 diabetes.
>
> But the technique is not perfect. Many patients still require top-up
> insulin.
>
>
> It is almost like being a totally different person
> Richard Lane
> Transplant recipient
>
> Mr Lane, who has had diabetes for over 30 years, had his first islet
> transplant in September, followed by a second transplant a month later and
> the third at the end of January.
>
> He told the Guardian newspaper: "I haven't felt better in myself for 30
> years. I have to pinch myself to ensure I am not dreaming."
>
> Mr Lane said he used to suffer attacks of low blood sugar which could lead
> to unconsciousness.
>
> "My wife used to dread me going out of the front door in case there was a
> call from the ambulance service. I am now doing half an hour's brisk walk
> every day, and I have lost a stone-and-a-half in six months," he said.
>
> "It is almost like being a totally different person."
>
> Two other UK patients who have been treated with the procedure still need
> small doses of insulin.
>
>
> The implications for the future are enormous
> Lead researcher at King's Professor Stephanie Amiel
>
> Canadian researchers were the first to demonstrate that people with type 1
> diabetes could remain free of insulin injections after the treatment was
> complete.
>
> People with diabetes cannot convert blood sugar into energy because the
> hormone insulin which enables this to take place is either not produced by
> islet cells in the pancreas or does not work properly.
>
> For the transplant, healthy islet cells are taken from donor pancreases
> and injected into the patient's liver.
>
> Once there, they develop their own blood supply and begin to produce
> insulin.
>
> Short supply
>
> Professor Stephanie Amiel, who leads the diabetes team at King's College
> Hospital, said: "The implications for the future are enormous.
>
>
> We hope it will become more widely available in the future
> Jo Brodie of Diabetes UK
>
> "Eventually this could mean the end of insulin dependence for all type 1
> diabetes sufferers."
>
> But she said there was a shortage of donor pancreases from which to
> extract islet cells, which means they could not treat everyone with type 1
> diabetes.
>
> In the UK, 250,000 people have type 1 diabetes, also known as
> insulin-dependent diabetes. The condition usually appears before the age
> of 40.
>
> Japanese researchers recently said they successfully transplanted islet
> cells from a living donor.
>
> Scientists have also been looking at ways to make more of the cells
> required using stem cells.
>
> Jo Brodie of Diabetes UK said: "The success of islet transplants is a
> major breakthrough in improving the lives of people with diabetes.
>
> "Diabetes UK is now funding the work which we hope will turn this
> breakthrough into a cure for all people with the condition.
>
> "The transplant work is moving forward all the time and we hope it will
> become more widely available in the future."
> .
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