Is this a cure?

Earlier this morning I opened my email inbox to find that my mom has sent me a link for a story on CBC's The National Sunday night.  It was a CBC special titled "More diabetes patients may get islet transplants".  It talked about The Edmonton Protocol, a procedure where islet cells are isolated from donor pancreases and then injected into the liver.  It's done under local anesthetic and it takes only 10 minutes. Within weeks most people can stop taking insulin.  The doctor that was leading this experimental treatment, Dr. James Shapiro, says that with their newest regiment "50% of patients are still insulin free at 5 years which is actually the same results for a pancreas transplant alone".

I watched the CBC video a couple times and grew more and more excited.  It sounds like a sort of cure.  A "cure" that is only 3000km (1900 miles) away from me in Edmonton, Alberta.  The article did say that it was more aimed at "brittle" diabetics - I guess those are ones that have a hard time managing their diabetes with frequent hypo incidents.  Hubby said he'd be up to driving down there tomorrow if we get a green light.  The procedure is even covered by the Alberta government.

I would like some more information on islet transplants.  If anyone out there in the Diabetes community could please give me some insight or point me in the right direction on the web.  I understand there are some pills that are necessary to take so that your body doesn't reject the foreign cells.  What are these and are they dangerous?  Do they have side effects?

I am very excited.  If there's a waiting list, I'd like to get on it. 50/50 odds are good.  I'd take it.

Please have a read and watch the video and let me know what you think.  I hope I'm not getting my hopes up for nothing.