New islet transplantation for patients with Type 1 diabetes

A team led by Dr Richard Smith, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Renal Medicine at North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol, will offer a pioneering new treatment for some patients with Type 1 diabetes, the Department of Health announced today.

The Pancreatic Islet Transplant Programme was set up at Southmead Hospital five years ago to help people throughout the region suffering with hypoglycaemia, a severe complication of diabetes.

Southmead is one of six English hospitals to receive a share of £2.34 million that is due to be increased (nationally) to a maximum of £7.32million to meet the predicted annual need in the longer term.

People with diabetes find the amount of sugar in their blood is dangerously high and cannot produce enough insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas) to counter this problem. The condition affects around 1.4 million people in the UK.

Whilst the majority of diabetes sufferers are able to keep their condition under control with regular exercise and insulin injections, a small minority find the same therapy actually make their blood sugar levels go too low with no warning.

As a result they can lose consciousness several times a day - putting incredible strain on themselves and their families.

The new treatment will offer patients a pancreatic islet transplant. Pancreatic islets are the insulin producing "factories" which normally keep blood sugar levels under control.

In patients with Type 1 diabetes they are destroyed allowing blood sugar levels to go out of control.

One new way to treat this is to purify the islets and inject them in to the liver. This can significantly improve blood sugar control and reduce the need for insulin injections.

It is expected in the first year of the programme, around four procedures will take place at NBT and this is expected to increase in future years as national funding is increased.

Dr Richard Smith said: "Today's announcement really is great news and means that for the first time we will be able to undertake this procedure right here in Bristol".