Researchers at the University of Twente and other Dutch knowledge institutes have developed a membrane with which individual islets of Langerhans - insulin-producing cell clusters - can be encapsulated. The idea behind the system is that these islets could eventually be safely transplanted to cure type 1 diabetes patients. The research results were published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports. In the Netherlands alone about 150,000 people suffer from type 1 diabetes.
Due to an immune disease the islets of Langerhans -- clusters of pancreatic cells- function poorly and the production of insulin is limited. Therefore the patient's body can then no longer regulate its own blood sugar levels. Patients must therefore inject themselves with insulin, sometimes several times a day. They also have a raised risk of heart, eye and kidney disorders, nerve damage, and…
