HITS | Human Islet Transplantation in Seattle

Human Islet Transplantation in Seattle (HITS)

The Human Islet Transplantation program in Seattle (HITS) is a collaboration of five research and clinical institutions--Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI), Puget Sound Blood Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and the University of Washington Medical Center. The general focus of HITS is to improve ways to make islet transplantation an effective therapy for type 1 diabetes. Dr. R. Paul Robertson is the Program Director, and PNRI provides overall program direction.

In 2000, the HITS program became one of nine sites in the islet-only transplantation trial sponsored by the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), testing the Edmonton protocol for islet transplantation. HITS has also pioneered simultaneous kidney-islet transplantation. Currently, in 2005, the program is concentrating on the refinement of effective kidney-islet transplantation protocols and undertaking a series of islet-after-kidney transplants.

Islet Transplant Procedure

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. In islet transplantation, islets containing beta cells are taken from a donor pancreas. When they have been purified, these islets are infused into the portal vein of a diabetic recipient's liver. There they produce the insulin that helps control the body's blood sugar.

Human Islet Transplantation in Seattle (HITS)

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Islet Transplant Procedure