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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2014; 20(37): 13512-13520
Published online Oct 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i37.13512
Review of experimental attempts of islet allotransplantation in rodents: Parameters involved and viability of the procedure
Leandro Ryuchi Iuamoto, Alberto Meyer, Eleazar Chaib, Luiz Augusto Carneiro D’Albuquerque
Leandro Ryuchi Iuamoto, Alberto Meyer, Eleazar Chaib, Luiz Augusto Carneiro D’Albuquerque, Department of Gastroenterology, Liver and Pancreas Transplantation Surgery Unit, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-090, Brazil
Author contributions: Iuamoto LR and Meyer A read all the articles, selected the most relevant of them and edited the manuscript; Chaib E and D’Albuquerque LAC designed the study and were also involved in editing the manuscript; all authors contributed to the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Leandro Ryuchi Iuamoto, Department of Gastroenterology, Liver and Pancreas Transplantation Surgery Unit, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar 255, Sao Paulo 05403-090, Brazil. leandro.iuamoto@gmail.com
Telephone: +55-11-30618322 Fax: +55-11-30618322
Received: March 7, 2014
Revised: May 3, 2014
Accepted: June 21, 2014
Published online: October 7, 2014
Processing time: 214 Days and 16.7 Hours
Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to organize the parameters involved in experimental allotransplantation in rodents to elaborate the most suitable model to supply the scarcity of islet donors. We used the PubMed database to systematically search for published articles containing the keywords “rodent islet transplantation” to review. We included studies that involved allotransplantation experiments with rodents’ islets, and we reviewed the reference lists from the eligible publications that were retrieved. We excluded articles related to isotransplantation, autotransplantation and xenotransplantation, i.e., transplantation in other species. A total of 25 studies related to allotransplantation were selected for systematic review based on their relevance and updated data. Allotransplantation in rodents is promising and continues to develop. Survival rates of allografts have increased with the discovery of new immunosuppressive drugs and the use of different graft sites. These successes suggest that islet transplantation is a promising method to overcome the scarcity of islet donors and advance the treatment options for type 1 diabetes.

Keywords: Islet transplantation; Allograft; Immunosuppression; Type 1 diabetes; Islet grafts; Diabetes mellitus; Islet; Hyperglycemia

Core tip: This is an important systematic review for readers to analyze the different existing methodologies of islet allotransplantation. This article reviews all aspects of donors and recipients, the types and dosages of immunosuppressive therapy, graft survival time and evolution of the recipient’s blood glucose. Therefore, the present article permits reproduction and improvement of the experiments involving islet allotransplantation in rodents to develop alternative therapies for type 1 diabetes.