Editorial for Special Issue “Islet Transplantation”
1
Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
2
Medical Porcine Development Organization, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
Cells 2025, 14(22), 1810; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221810
Submission received: 12 November 2025
/
Accepted: 14 November 2025
/
Published: 18 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Islet Transplantation)
Islet cell transplantation is revolutionary. Given recent developments, diabetes no longer seems incurable. Human islet cells have been approved by the FDA in the form of a drug named LantidraTM, representing a breakthrough treatment for type 1 diabetes with severe hypoglycemia [1]. Clinical trials of embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived islet transplantation have also been successful [2]. However, deriving ESCs from human fertilized eggs brings ethical issues [3]. To avoid this ethical issue, clinical trials of inducible pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived islet transplantation have been initiated in Asia, including in Japan [4].
The next major issue is the necessity of immunosuppressive drugs.
A clinical trial of encapsulated porcine islet xenotransplantation without immunosuppressive drugs has been initiated in the USA [5]. In Argentina, patients’ opinions 10 years after receiving encapsulated porcine islet xenotransplantation were very favorable [6], and similar outcomes are anticipated in the US clinical trial.
The ultimate goal of islet transplantation should be to enable type 1 diabetic patients to become insulin-independent without the need for life-long immunosuppressive drugs.
This goal can be achieved by inducing immunological tolerance and/or improving the efficacy of encapsulated islet xenotransplantation. Continuous research into islet cell transplantation will be important for achieving this goal.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no conflict of interest.
References
- Available online: https://www.lantdira.com (accessed on 11 November 2025).
- Hering, B.J.; Rickels, M.R.; Bellin, M.D.; Millman, J.R.; Tomei, A.A.; García, A.J.; Shirwan, H.; Stabler, C.L.; Ma, M.; Yi, P.; et al. Advances in cell replacement therapies for diabetes. Diabetes 2025, 74, 1068–1077. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Park, S.J.; Kim, Y.Y.; Han, J.Y.; Kim, S.W.; Kim, H.; Ku, S.Y. Advancements in human embryonic stem cell research: Clinical applications and ethical issues. Tissue Eng. Regen. Med. 2024, 21, 379–394. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fujikura, J.; Anazawa, T.; Toyoda, T.; Kimura, Y.; Yabe, D. Toward a cure for diabetes: iPSC and ESC-derived islet cell transplantation trials. J. Diabetes Investig. 2025, 16, 384–388. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Available online: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06575426 (accessed on 11 November 2025).
- Matsumoto, S.; Abalovich, A.; Wynyard, S.; Carulla, M.E.; Abalovich, D. Patients’ opinions 10 years after receiving encapsulated porcine islet xenotransplantation without immunosuppression. Xenotransplantation 2023, 30, e12798. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
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Matsumoto, S. Editorial for Special Issue “Islet Transplantation”. Cells 2025, 14, 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221810
AMA Style
Matsumoto S. Editorial for Special Issue “Islet Transplantation”. Cells. 2025; 14(22):1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221810
Chicago/Turabian StyleMatsumoto, Shinichi. 2025. "Editorial for Special Issue “Islet Transplantation”" Cells 14, no. 22: 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221810
APA StyleMatsumoto, S. (2025). Editorial for Special Issue “Islet Transplantation”. Cells, 14(22), 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221810
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