The University of Virginia's Division of Cellular Transplantation and Therapeutics, in conjunction with the division of Transplantation and Division of Endocrinology is conducting a Phase 1 study to show the effectiveness of islet cell transplantation for those patients with Type 1 diabetes and who suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness.

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is a disorder of the body's immune system where the body's immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas called beta cells. When the beta cells are destroyed, insulin cannot be produced, and the glucose stays in the blood instead, where it can cause serious damage to the different organ systems of the body. People with Type 1 diabetes face the constant threat of developing serious complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage to the lower legs. For this reason, people with type 1 diabetes have a real need for constant and continued treatment with insulin. Generally, Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults.

Current management of diabetes involves daily blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and careful meal planning. The only way to cure diabetes is to replace the destroyed beta cells or replace their function.

Islet transplantation is a less invasive procedure than whole-organ transplantation. Healthy islets are isolated from a donor pancreas, purified, and then infused through a small tube into the portal vein of the liver. Patients take immunosuppressive drugs to keep their bodies from rejecting the new islets. When successful, islet transplantation can restore normal blood sugar without the need for insulin injections and can improve quality of life.