Diabetics treated with a 'pancreas' in their arm

Patients’ game-changer’ transplant hope

- Hanna Geissler

DIABETES patients may be treated by having pancreatic cells transplanted into their forearms.

In healthy bodies, clusters of cells in the pancreas known as islets produce the hormone insulin which is crucial for regulating blood sugar.

But in people with type 1 diabetes the islets are destroyed by their immune system. Scientists are developing a way to put donated islets under the skin, where they then do the job of making insulin.

Power A trial with eight patients is producing "encouraging" results. If could free successful, the treatment hundreds of thousands of people from injections and the need to check their blood sugar frequently.

The research was called a "potential game-changer" for type 1 diabetes at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference in Denver.

Katy Digovich, chief executive of US biotech firm Minutia, said: