It is estimated that there are as many as 1.2 million Americans suffering from Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus). Normally, certain cells in the pancreas, called the islet β cells, produce insulin which promotes the uptake of the sugar glucose by cells in the human body. Degeneration of pancreatic islet β cells results in a lack of insulin in the bloodstream which results in diabetes. Although diabetics can be treated with daily injections of insulin, these injections enable only intermittent glucose control. As a result, patients with diabetes suffer chronic degeneration of many organs, including the eye, kidney, nerves and blood vessels. In some cases, patients with diabetes have been treated with islet β cell transplantation derived from cadavers. However, poor availability of suitable sources for islet β cell transplantation make this approach impractical as a treatment for the growing numbers of individuals suffering from diabetes.
