The novelty of the Minnesota research included a cocktail of immunosuppressive drugs which prevented the body’s immune system from rejecting the cross-species transplant of the pig’s islet cells. In the control group monkeys, which were not given immunosuppressive drugs, rejected the pig islets after a few days. While the drug mixture helped the lab monkeys survive much longer – a median of more than 140 days, the side effects of those drugs eventually caused their demise. Human subjects may demand a longer survival level after a transplant surgery.

We talked to Dr. David White, Novartis/Stiller Professor of Xenotransplantation at the University of Western Ontario, about the problem of organ rejection and the use of immunosuppressive drugs. “When it comes to animal-to human transplants, the amount of immunosuppressive drugs that you have to give to stop this rejection is dangerous to the patient,” the renowned immunologist told us. “We’ve been looking for a way to transplant these islets without having to give these dangerous drugs.” While at Cambridge University in the 1970s, Dr. White helped research and develop the immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporin A in conjunction with Professor Sir Roy Calne. The drug minimized the risk of organ rejection after transplantation, allowing new developments in transplantation procedures. Dr. White believes his current research may lead to a technique for performing the islet cell transplants without the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

Research Innovation Could Lead to Widely Available Diabetes Reversal

This technique, which Dr. White believes may provide the final piece in the puzzle for insulin-dependent diabetics, is a refinement initially developed by Dr. Rafael, his former Cambridge University student. Valdes, who was featured in a five-part series on Canada’s CTV TV in 2003, developed a subcutaneous tube for inserting Sertoli cells and islet cells into Type 1 diabetics. The Sertoli cells interfere with the immune system’s rejection of the pig islet cells. Sertoli cells are found in the testicles and have, since 1939, been recognized as an ‘immunologically privileged site.’ In other words, surgeons can transplant into the testicles and not suffer organ rejection. By injecting Sertoli cells from pigs along with the pig islet cells, the body can accept the islet cells. The diabetic patient’s rejuvenated pancreas can then produce insulin for his or her human body, successfully reversing the effects of Type 1 diabetes.

For the past six years, the Cambridge University surgeon has used this technique at his clinic in Mexico City, transplanting 24 human patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes. In more than half the cases, Valdes was able to reverse diabetes without the use of immunosuppression drugs. He continues to perform this procedure as authorized by the Mexican health authorities. The combination of Sertoli cells and islet cells from pigs are compatible with the human body’s immune system, which eliminate the necessity of immunosuppression drugs to prevent the body’s rejection of the transplanted cells.

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