The analysis involved 79 patients aged between 18 and 67 years, revealing that in subjects with type 1 diabetes treated with a pancreatic islet dose of at least 10,000 IEQ/kg and the αCD25/FK506/Rapa immunosuppressive protocol, a significant improvement in graft survival and greater insulin independence has been achieved. In this group, the median islet survival was 9.7 years, with 72.7% of patients maintaining insulin independence for 6 to 7 years.
The overall data show a graft survival of 86% at one year, 65% at five years and 40% at twenty years, confirming the long-term effectiveness of the treatment. However, the study highlighted some side effects associated with immunosuppressive therapy, such as infections and reduced kidney function, which require careful monitoring and targeted interventions to ensure the long-term safety of patients.
"This study highlights the potential of islet transplantation in improving the quality of life of patients with long-term diabetes, while providing valuable indications for optimizing future cell therapies, in particular those based on the differentiation of pancreatic islets from stem cells"
declared Professor Lorenzo Piemonti, who also concludes:
"The results obtained not only help to better understand the effects of immunosuppression, but also to determine the optimal doses of islets to ensure safe and effective transplants. These data reveal the importance of continuing research to improve and refine cell therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes, to ensure increasingly effective and sustainable treatments in the long term".
