Transplantation of pancreatic islets is a therapeutic option to preserve or restore β-cell function. Our study was aimed at developing a clinically applicable protocol for extra-hepatic transplantation of pancreatic islets. The potency of islets implanted onto the omentum, using an in situ-generated adherent, resorbable plasma-thrombin biologic scaffold, was evaluated in diabetic rat and in a nonhuman primate (NHP) models. Intraomental islet engraftment in the biologic scaffold was confirmed by achievement of improved metabolic function and preservation of islet cytoarchitecture, with reconstitution of rich intra-insular vascular networks in both species. Long-term non-fasting normoglycemia and adequate glucose clearance (tolerance tests) was achieved in both intrahepatic and intraomental sites in rats. Intraomental graft recipients displayed lower levels of serum biomarkers of islet distress (e.g., acute serum insulin) and inflammation (e.g., leptin and α2-macroglobulin). Importantly, low-purity (30% endocrine:70% exocrine) syngeneic rat islet preparations displayed function equivalent to that of pure (>95% endocrine) preparations after intraomental biologic scaffold implantation. Moreover, the biologic scaffold sustained allogeneic islet engraftment in immunosuppressed recipients. Collectively, our feasibility/efficacy data, along with the simplicity of the procedure and the safety of the biologic scaffold components, represented sufficient preclinical testing to proceed to a pilot Phase I/II clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02213003).
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 27. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 02 September 2025.
All research outputs
#1,798,269
of 34,089,221 outputs
Outputs from Diabetes
#718
of 12,112 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#22,719
of 336,668 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Diabetes
#14
of 123 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,089,221 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 94th percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 12,112 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 10.3. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 94% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 336,668 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 93% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 123 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 88% of its contemporaries.
