Pancreatic islet xenotransplantation

This review presents an overview on the present status of xenogeneic islet cell transplantation. In four sections we present (1) a short introduction on clinical islet transplantation using islets from deceased humans, ending with the rationale for xenogeneic islet transplantation; (2) porcine islet survival and function in diabetic nonhuman primates; (3) features in this animal model that are relevant for clinical development; and (4) limitations and translational value of the model in nonhuman primates.