Pig cells can cure diabetes

The US scientists said in a decade insulin-producing cells from pigs will be implanted into the human body to treat type 1 diabetes.

Heart valves from pigs and pig cells have also been used to treat human diseases (Photo: TTO)

A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota, United States succeeded in transplanting cells from the pancreas of pigs in the body 5 monkeys with diabetes. The monkeys were given anti-rejection drugs, and they have fully recovered.

Scientists hope experiments on humans will begin in 2009. At that time there will be hundreds of thousands of diabetic patients transplanted tissues of animals. Previously it has been successfully transplanted cells from the pancreas of diabetic people to heal. But the gift is so rare, so the cells and tissues from pigs is optimal alternative.

But these drugs in the body excrete foreign object implanted in still make too many bad side effects for the patient. Therefore, more research needs to reduce this side effect.

Thought should also know hundreds of thousands of patients with heart valve replacement was heart valves from pigs and pig cells has also been widely used to treat Parkinson's shaking palsy.