JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a medical breakthrough for millions of diabetics and their families, whose lives revolve around daily insulin shots and an endless series of finger sticks. A cutting-edge procedure performed in Canada transplanted key pancreatic cells into the livers of eight adults with type one diabetes. All eight began producing the insulin needed to regulate blood sugar. The patients are also benefiting from a new class of drugs designed to avoid transplant rejection. They are free of steroids, which can cause difficult side effects. For more on the new transplant procedure, we're joined by CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer, in Atlanta. Holly, this wasn't an organ transplant, but they transplanted cells. How did it work?</s>HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jeanne, what the scientists were able to do is take the islets cells which do produce the insulin from the pancreas of cadavers, and with a catheter, inject those cells into a portal vein which leads to the liver, where the islets can stay and produce the insulin. The pancreas is located deeper in the abdomen than the liver. And the liver is easier to reach, and it's got a rich blood supply. And thus the patients don't require extensive and invasive surgery.</s>MESERVE: Holly, a breakthrough, but is this a cure?</s>FIRFER: Well, not exactly. By the American Diabetes Association definition, these eight patients had blood sugar levels in the normal range after the transplantation, so technically they are said to be cured. But many scientists want to stay away from such a dramatic statement because these patients must stay on anti-rejection drugs the rest of their lives. If they should go off the drugs, it's most likely that the diabetes will redevelop. So there's still a long way to go before we can actually say we have cured diabetes. But anyone in the field will tell you, Jeanne, this is exciting news and extremely promising.</s>MESERVE: Holly Firfer in Atlanta, thank you.
New Transplant Procedure Means New Hope for Diabetic Patients