Islet Cell Programme

The Scottish National Islet Transplant Programme is a national service commissioned by NHS National Services Scotland, National Services Division, for some patients with Type I diabetes. These patients have problems managing their blood sugar levels and can suffer from hypoglycaemic unawareness - meaning they can collapse without warning.

Treatment involves isolating islet cells, which make and release insulin, from a donor pancreas and transfusing them into the patient's liver. The aim of this treatment is to restore glycaemic awareness (the ability to detect life-threatening hypoglycaemia) and help patients to become insulin independent.

The SNBTS Islet Cell Laboratory is responsible for the complex, labour-intensive process of isolating islet cells. The process requires numerous, highly skilled staff working together to isolate viable cells from a donor pancreas and prepare them for transplant.

The first Scottish transplants took place at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2011. 

Read more about this on the Scottish Government website.