Author:
Eisenson Daniel L.,Iwase Hayato,Chen Weili,Hisadome Yu,Cui Wanxing,Santillan Michelle R.,Schulick Alexander C.,Gu Du,Maxwell Amanda,Koenig Kristy,Sun Zhaoli,Warren Daniel,Yamada Kazuhiko
Abstract
Combined islet and kidney xenotransplantation for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy represents a compelling and increasingly relevant therapeutic possibility for an ever-growing number of patients who would benefit from both durable renal replacement and cure of the underlying cause of their renal insufficiency: diabetes. Here we briefly review immune barriers to islet transplantation, highlight preclinical progress in the field, and summarize our experience with combined islet and kidney xenotransplantation, including both challenges with islet-kidney composite grafts as well as our recent success with sequential kidney followed by islet xenotransplantation in a pig-to-baboon model.