Beyond Insulin: The Promise and Price of Islet Transplantation

Trenches in Transplant Surgery · Oct 1, 2026 · 1h 6m

Islet transplantation represents a promising approach to restoring insulin production, though achieving a comprehensive solution requires overcoming significant hurdles related to cell supply, engraftment, and immune rejection. While FDA-approved treatments like Lantidra and emerging alternatives such as zimislecel demonstrate strong clinical efficacy in halting severe hypoglycemia and achieving insulin independence, they currently demand the continued use of systemic immunosuppression. Innovative strategies, including hypoimmune engineering and cell encapsulation, aim to bypass this heavy…