The enthusiasm for pancreatic β-cell islet transplantation that followed the introduction of the 'Edmonton protocol' in 2000 has been tempered by evidence that the immunosuppressants used in the protocol might be nephrotoxic and that the resultant insulin independence is only short-term in most patients. Cravedi and colleagues analyze the risks and benefits of islet transplantation and argue that it should not be regarded as a general alternative to insulin replacement therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- Paolo Cravedi
- Roslyn B Mannon
- Giuseppe Remuzzi
