A question about Islet transplantation - (Apr/09/2012 )

Hi guys,

I have got a stupid question which puzzled me for a long time: in islet transplantation (regardless of human or murine), I know that they place them under kidney capsule....but do they stay there for ever, or they migrate to pancreas?

Why don't they just place them in pancreas instead?

Thanks if you could help me

I don't think they will migrate to the pancreas.

The pancreas o the patient is usually dying and contains a lot of proteases, which would digest the islets, placing them in the pancreas is also unnecessary, they will work pretty much anywhere (AFAIK), so long as there is a good blood supply.

Apparently islets are usually placed into the liver, rather than the kidney, by injecting them into the portal vein and allowing bulk flow to do the rest.