MUHC Quebec’s first & only establishment for islet cell transplants for patients with type 1 diabetes

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) has been designated as Quebec’s first and only establishment for islet cell transplants for patients with type 1 diabetes. A lifechanging treatment for diabetic patients.

“They have trouble getting through their day or even sleeping through the night because they can’t sense when their blood sugar is extremely low and potentially even life threatening low. It’s these people who are most affected by their diabetes who stand to gain from the procedure, which can restore stability and even insulin independence,” explained Dr. Steven Paraskevas, director of the MUHC Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Program, who heads the MUHC Human Islet Transplantation Laboratory.

The islet cell transplant, is a non-invasive procedure that re-establishes a person’s ability to make their own insulin, which is possible thanks to a pancreas from a deceased organ donor.

“We basically turn this pancreas, which is about 100 grams, into two or three milliliters of cells that make insulin. We purify the clusters of cells called islets that make insulin and glucagon and control a person’s sugar metabolism. They constitute only a tiny 1% of the whole pancreas. We purify those out and we test their potency, their viability, sterility and when they meet certain criteria that we’ve established, and which Health Canada has certified us to achieve, then we can we can give them to someone, and they’re injected into the person’s liver,” Dr. Paraskevas explains.

WATCH: "It's really a way of getting back to normal life."@cusm_muhc designated as Quebec's first & only establishment for islet cell transplants for patients with type 1 diabetes. @Tinatenneriello speaks to @s_paraskevas head of the @Isletlab at 6PM. https://t.co/eektx14Y4R pic.twitter.com/qsYHDCZnqX

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) July 19, 2022

The MUHC will be the only place in Quebec where patients can access this treatment. If you are a patient interested by the treatment, you can visit isletlab.org for more information and contact the team at islettransplant@MUHC.Mcgill.ca.

Islet transplantation approved in Quebec: MUHC designated first provincial establishment for islet cell transplantsfor patients with type 1 diabetes. https://t.co/JHiQvdXKVa

— Isletlab (@Isletlab) July 6, 2022

“There are criteria for eligibility for the procedure and there is testing to be done. From there, a person can be contacted by our pre-transplant coordinator who would go through some screening questions and maybe some blood tests to determine if this would be a beneficial treatment for them.”