Transplant raises hope of diabetes cure

Hopes of a cure for diabetes grew today after transplants were successfully completed on a British patient for the first time.

Richard Lane, 61, had three transplants of cells at King's College Hospital. For the first time in 30 years, he no longer needs five insulin injections a day. Previously, he regularly fell into lifethreatening comas.

The new technique takes insulinproducing cells from donors and transplants them into the liver of the diabetic. Earlier trials helped cut the number of attacks patients experienced but had not allowed them to come off insulin.

With Mr Lane, from Bromley, doctors made a breakthrough. After the transplants he has the same blood sugar levels as a nondiabetic. The news offers the first hope of a real cure for the 250,000 patients with Type 1 diabetes.