What Should be the Activities of a Diabetes Center Focused On Islet Transplantation?

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may experience diabetic ketoacidosis[1,2]. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are likely to experience hyperglycemic non-ketotic hyperosmolar coma[3,4]. Later microvascular complications include retinopathy[5,6], nephropathy[7] and peripheral and autonomic neuropathy[8]. Macrovascular complications include coronary and peripheral atherosclerotic arterial disease. The macrovascular disease such as atherosclerosis can lead to symptomatic coronary artery disease, claudication, skin necrosis and infection[5,9-13]. Retinopathy may progress to macular edema or proliferative retinopathy with retinal detachment or hemorrhage, which can cause blindness[5,14]. Diabetic nephropathy develops in about one third of patients with T1DM and in a smaller percentage of those with T2DM, and can be a cause of nephrotic syndrome[5,7]. Diabetic neuropathy is usually encountered as a polyneuropathy. Acute mononeuropathies occur more frequently in older diabetics.