Currently, millions of people with diabetes rely on daily insulin injections to control their blood glucose. In response, Mexican researchers are exploring the possibility of transplanting pancreatic islets into the anterior chamber of the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pancreatic islets<\/a> are clusters of cells within the pancreas that produce hormones, such as insulin. Transplanting them<\/a> has become an alternative therapy that helps patients restore their body’s ability to produce the hormone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditionally, these are extracted from a deceased donor<\/strong>, cultured and isolated, and then injected into the patient’s liver; however, they are usually accompanied by immunosuppressants to prevent rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, researchers around the world have sought alternatives, such as performing the transplant in the eye. “Between the iris and the cornea is the anterior chamber,” says Judith Bernal<\/a>, a postdoctoral specialist at the Institute for Obesity Research<\/a>. “It has a privileged immune system where rejection is less likely.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The eye, being semi-isolated, has special immunological characteristics that not only reduce the need for immunosuppressants but also allow the islets to proliferate and endure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bernal, along with Hugo Alves,<\/a> researcher at TecSalud<\/a>, Per-Olof Berggren<\/a>, distinguished visiting professor of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences<\/a> (EMCS) and of the Faculty of Excellence<\/a>, and other collaborators, seeks to bring this technology to Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n