P257: Factors correlated with successful human islet islation

Abstract

Introduction: Since the publication of the Edmonton protocol in 2000, human islet transplantation has become a promising alternative to whole pancreas transplantation in the treatment of type I diabetes. Human islet transplantation is a complex procedure where many factors affect the final islet yield. As a brief overview, a donor pancreas is procured and preserved before it is enzymatically digested and purified using continuous density gradients in a processing facility. After purification, if the final yield of islets is greater than 5,000 islet equivalents (IEQ) per kilogram of the intended recipient’s body weight, islets can be infused through hepatic portal vein injection.