Microencapsulation of Parathyroid Cells for the Treatment of Hypoparathyroidism.

Cell encapsulation is an alternative to avoid rejection of grafted tissue, thus bringing an interesting alternative in cell therapy. It is particularly relevant in ailments where only the implant of small quantities of tissues is warranted. In such circumstances, the use of immunosuppressive therapy in patients implanted with tissues from donors is debatable, yet unavoidable at present in order to prevent rejection and/or sensitization of the host to the tissue, in turn jeopardizing the success of successive implants.

Pancreatic autotransplantation in chronic pancreatitis.

The apancreatic state secondary to resective surgery for chronic pancreatitis is associated with a high rate of late morbidity and mortality that is due, in part, to endocrine insufficiency. Resective procedures should, therefore, be used very selectively. Over the last 2 decades we have seen a shift from extensive distal resections to limited proximal resections.