2 ms·
While I don't doubt that there's a lot of fudging going on here, the author is a bit off in thinking that the only research use of pancreata is in transplanting
by cperciva 2y ago
While I don't doubt that there's a lot of fudging going on here, the author is a bit off in thinking that the only research use of pancreata is in transplanting islet cells into patients. In particular, there has been a lot of research recently into "encapsulated islets" -- placing them inside some form of membrane which allows nutrients in and insulin out, but protects them from the immune system. This would make it possible to implant an "artificial pancreas" without needing life-long immunosuppressant therapy.
- tossandthrow 2y agoThat is explicitly irrelevant: > That meant, hopefully, that they’d be judged solely on how many organs they recovered and transplanted into people It would seem like extraction with the sole purpose of research is out of scope for organ donors. Ie. The author did justice in only referring to research that includes transplantation.
- cperciva 2y agoThe 2004 law allows for the counting of pancreata used for islet cell transplantation or research.