The transplant process involves the complex preparation of islets extracted from a deceased donor's pancreas.
But glucose can't enter our cells without insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
He lost 90% of his stomach and spleen as well as part of his pancreas.
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With the enzymes trapped inside the pancreas, the gland becomes inflamed, causing excruciating pain.
Dr. Joseph Melancon, head of the kidney-pancreas transplantation unit at Georgetown University Hospital, oversaw the project.
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In contrast, other genes have specialized functions, such as helping a pancreas cell make insulin.
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Her kidney tumor, diagnosed in 1997, had spread to her abdomen, pancreas and both lungs.
The second most common cause is alcohol damage to the pancreas, often after binge drinking.
The pancreas first tries to overcome this resistance to insulin by making more insulin.
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Kutcher's pancreas may have been overworked if his body was receiving an overload of sugar.
The aim is to combine these two devices, creating what is in effect an artificial pancreas.
The pill-based drug is already approved to treat various tumors of the pancreas, kidney and brain.
He said the pancreas is also a difficult organ, from which to remove cells.
Cancer of the pancreas is usually detected late and patients usually live for six months after diagnosis.
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The major killers--tumors of the lung, colon, prostate and pancreas-have resisted targeted therapies (see chart, p. 124).
Insulin is a hormone made in cells in the pancreas that controls how the body uses sugar.
Some 25 trials of Avastin are under way, targeting tumors of the kidney, lung, pancreas and liver.
This is partly due to defects in a particular type of specialised cell found in the pancreas.
Vitamin D appears to regulate insulin production in the pancreas, and a deficiency could raise diabetes risk.
He specialized in surgery for tumors of the pancreas, liver, stomach, esophagus, colon, breast, and other organs.
It has ten other drugs in human trials involving cancers of the breast, colon, brain, ovaries and pancreas.
The gene known as ingap could help by jump-starting production of the vital hormone made by the pancreas.
GLP-1 is secreted in the intestine after a meal prompting beta cells in the pancreas to produce insulin.
They are now trying to establish the steps involved in the cells changing from pancreas to liver cells.
Side effects of the drugs can include inflammation of the colon, thyroid or pancreas, or other autoimmune problems.
Although it is still early days, attempts are even being made to model the pancreas, bladder and kidney.
Type 1 diabetes (also called juvenile onset diabetes) is a disease in which the pancreas stops secreting insulin.
He said the disease had spread to both lobes of his liver, and possibly his pancreas and lymph nodes.
For instance, scientists are developing a pancreas-cell implant for diabetic patients that is expected to overcome previous rejection problems.
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"They took out half my stomach, half my pancreas, my spleen, " he said.
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