The medical context

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease that destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin. Without this essential hormone for regulating blood sugar, patients often develop serious complications, including kidney failure. Until now, treatment options were limited: they included a whole pancreas transplant, a complex procedure reserved for young patients, or management of the condition with insulin therapy and dialysis.

 Therapeutic innovation

This new approach combines two techniques:

– A classic kidney transplant.

– An islet transplant, a less invasive method than a complete pancreas transplant.

The procedure is carried out in two stages over 48 hours, using organs from the same donor to minimize the risk of rejection. This technique could benefit around one hundred patients per year in France.

Specific example: the story of Christophe

Christophe, a winemaker in the Beaujolais region (Bourgogne-Rhône-Alpes region), and type 1 diabetic for 20 years, is testament to the success of this innovation. After years of complications (leg pain, eye problems, kidney failure) and three years of restrictive nocturnal dialysis, he benefited from this double transplant in August 2024, at Hospices Civils de Lyon.

The results are impressive:

– Stabilization of blood sugar levels.

– Significant reduction in insulin injections (only one per day).

– End of dialysis.

A development in treatment

This approach serves as a milestone in the history of islet transplants, which began in the United States in 1974 and were introduced in France in the 1990s. The recognition of this transplant as a regular therapy in 2020 has allowed for it to be reimbursed and further developed across several French hospitals.

This innovation places France among the leaders in regenerative medicine, paving the way for more effective and less invasive treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes and kidney failure.