Intraportal or Intramuscular Site for Islets in Simultaneous Islet and Kidney Transplantation

Islet transplantation is a promising treatment of type 1 diabetes in selected cases. Results are however hampered by a relatively low number of islets surviving the transplantation into the liver, which currently is the site for transplantation. In the present study we compare a new transplantation site (intramuscular in the arm) to the golden standard (the liver) in patients undergoing kidney transplantation from the same donor. In half of the intramuscular transplanted patients, the islets will be mixed with mesenchymal stemcells from the recipient to, possibly, improve the immunological aspects of the transplantation.