Really, it’s not even clear how valuable they are to type 1 diabetics—it’s generally believed to be autoimmune, so the new pancreas probably wouldn’t last long.
Also, T1D is pretty well managed with modern insulin pumps and blood sensors and finger checks. I have had T1D for 15 years now, and the insulin-related technology and quality of life has really improved over that time. I wouldn’t take a transplant option unless it was grown from my own cells (to negate rejection issues) and the transplant itself had very low failure and complication rates (most of my pancreas is working fine, after all, and I don’t want to risk it).
In current pancreas transplants, you keep your old pancreas, for that very reason. Yes, surgery is bad for your health, but T1D is pretty bad, even if “well-controlled.” If the cloned islets aren’t destroyed in the same way, it’s almost certainly a win. It occurs to me that foreign islets might avoid the autoimmune problem, but it’s only worth it for the worst T1D cases.
Also, T1D is pretty well managed with modern insulin pumps and blood sensors and finger checks. I have had T1D for 15 years now, and the insulin-related technology and quality of life has really improved over that time. I wouldn’t take a transplant option unless it was grown from my own cells (to negate rejection issues) and the transplant itself had very low failure and complication rates (most of my pancreas is working fine, after all, and I don’t want to risk it).
In current pancreas transplants, you keep your old pancreas, for that very reason. Yes, surgery is bad for your health, but T1D is pretty bad, even if “well-controlled.” If the cloned islets aren’t destroyed in the same way, it’s almost certainly a win. It occurs to me that foreign islets might avoid the autoimmune problem, but it’s only worth it for the worst T1D cases.