Each year, a few people with type I diabetes are given a pancreas transplant - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 6 - 2017 - Paper 2
Question 6
Each year, a few people with type I diabetes are given a pancreas transplant.
Pancreas transplants are not used to treat people with type II diabetes.
Give two ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Each year, a few people with type I diabetes are given a pancreas transplant - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 6 - 2017 - Paper 2
Step 1
Give two reasons why pancreas transplants are not used for the treatment of type II diabetes.
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Answer
Individuals with type II diabetes usually produce insulin, which means a pancreas transplant is unnecessary.
The body cells in type II diabetes are often less sensitive or responsive to insulin, making a transplant ineffective.
Step 2
Put a tick (✔) in the box next to the statement which describes incorrectly the action of insulin.
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Answer
✔ Activates enzymes involved in the conversion of glycerol to glucose.
Step 3
Suggest how transcription factors can reprogram cells to form iPS cells.
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Answer
Transcription factors can attach to DNA or promote regions, stimulating or inhibiting transcription/RNA polymerase activity, thereby reprogramming differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells.
Step 4
Using all the information provided, evaluate the use of iPS cells to treat type I diabetes in humans.
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Answer
The use of iPS cells offers significant potential for treating type I diabetes as they can be derived from patient-specific skin cells, reducing the risk of immune rejection.
Furthermore, they can differentiate into pancreatic cells, which could address the lack of insulin production in type I diabetes.
However, there are concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of such treatments, as studies in mice may not fully replicate human responses.
Moreover, the long-term effects of transplanting iPS-derived cells are still uncertain, necessitating further investigation before this approach can be considered viable in clinical settings.