Our hypothesis is that a successful clinical islet transplant program can be established at
the University of Wisconsin using a steroid -free, sirolimus- and low dose tacrolimus - based
immunosuppressive drug regimen (Edmonton protocol). We intend to answer the following
research questions: 1) will treatment of islet transplant recipients with thiazolidinediones
(i.e. pioglitazone) enhance post-transplant islet function and reduce the number of islets
necessary to achieve adequate metabolic control? 2) which type 1 diabetic patients are
optimal candidates for islet transplantation (i.e. islet transplant alone or islet after
kidney transplantation)? 3) Can cadaver donor pancreases, which are ordinarily discarded and
not used for pancreas transplantation be used for islet transplantation?