DIABETES - JUVENILE TYPE I COMMUNITY
Islet transplantation and military service

Islet transplantation and military service

As some of you may now know, DIABECELL is a rather exciting new potential cure developed by Living Cell Technologies, that utilizes islets that have been encapsulated in what is basically a packaging tht allows the insulin to excrete without the immune system being able to penetrate and destroy the islets, thereby preserving islet function and effectively eliminating the need for immunosuppresant therapy. What is even more exciting is the fact that the company has publicly announced in press conferences that there product should be available to the general public in 2012!!!

My question is this... Given the fact that this treatment would effectively eliminate diabetes in the recipient, would the military allow former type 1's to enlist? I am aware that the military will generally disqualify someone from enlistment if they have recieved tissue transplants or use immune suppressing medications for obvious reasons, but would they potentially administer a medical waiver as they sometimes do for certain issues? Particularly as this treatment would no longer be experimental, safety and efficacy has been established, and no further mediction (medication) or tretment would be neccessary (aside from the periodic replenishing of the islets, which I believe may be an annual or twice annual non-invasive operation taking 15 minutes?)

Anyone have any experience in this area or know of anyone I may contact who may be of assistance?

Thank you!
-Steve
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