Islet cell transplantation has emerged as the most promising option for achieving restoration of normal blood glucose levels in people with Type 1 Diabetes. Transplantation protects against the devastating complications of diabetes. Also, it eliminates the need for injections, glucose testing, and dietary restrictions. Since 2000, more than 200 islet cell transplants have been reported worldwide, with promising results.

With Type 1 Diabetes, islet cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system, requiring injections of insulin for survival. Even with checking blood glucose levels every few hours and adjusting with insulin, a diabetic cannot manually match the second-by-second release of insulin from the islet cells of a healthy pancreas. Isolating islet cells and transplanting them into diabetic patients has made them insulin independent. Although this non-invasive islet cell procedure is considered experimental, it is an alternative to invasive whole organ transplants.

The islet cell replacement transplantation is a strategy that attempts to give back to Type 1 Diabetic patients the pancreatic islet cells that have been destroyed by their own immune system.