Evaluation of the hybrid artificial pancreas in diabetic dogs.

Immunoisolation of nonsyngeneic tissue using a selectively permeable membrane is designed to facilitate transplantation without the use of immunosuppression. The authors' studies have evaluated a hybrid artificial pancreas device that is implanted as an arteriovenous vascular shunt. Devices containing allogeneic or xenogeneic islets were implanted in diabetic dogs who had undergone pancreatectomies, and the devices eliminated the requirement for exogenous insulin for control of fasting glycemia in 11 animals for periods ranging from 1 to 8 months. Furthermore, unseeded devices in normal dogs have been shown to remain patent for over 2 years with low doses of aspirin as the only anticoagulant. These results indicate that this approach has potential as a therapy for diabetes.