Dr. Ivan Leontovyč from the Laboratory of Langerhans Islets and the National Institute CarDia provides a comprehensive overview of Langerhans islet transplantation in the IKEM podcast. For patients who cannot undergo a pancreas transplant, this type of transplantation can be considered, where the islets produce insulin.

Transplantations are primarily performed at IKEM, and since 2023 also in collaboration with other Czech and international hospitals.

The islets are located in the pancreas and contain beta cells that produce insulin. After pancreas removal, the islets are isolated, purified, and delivered to the patient’s portal vein. The success of the transplantation depends on the number and vitality of the islets – the more and healthier the cells, the higher the chance of reducing or completely eliminating the need for insulin. Today, the islet count is determined automatically using the ILET-Net computer program.

The transplantation is minimally invasive, performed under local anesthesia, and insulin production usually begins within a few days to weeks. Future research aims to implant islets into specialized capsules under the skin, allowing for easy application and potential explantation.

Learn more in the IKEM podcast (in Czech): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij2_0ZU4-X0

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