Pork belly just the thing

Michael Helyer would love a second dose of pig cells in his belly - if he could get it without having to go to Mexico.

The 50-year-old Aucklander has type 1 diabetes, so has to inject insulin to prevent dangerous swings in his blood sugar level.

In a 1996 experiment, he had specially coated insulin-producing cells from pigs transplanted into his abdomen.

This year a surgeon checked and found that thousands of the original 1 million "islet" cells are still in his belly and they can still produce insulin.

Mr Helyer yesterday welcomed a report recommending the Government set up a process to consider applications for this and other types of transplants from animals to humans. He said it would be great if the trial programme in which he was treated could resume in New Zealand.

For a year after his transplant, he was able to reduce his injected insulin by about a third. Even now, he uses slightly less than before the transplant.

A Mexican clinic offers a different version of pig islet cell transplants, at a cost of about US$30,000 ($42,242).

Mr Helyer, a music shop owner, said he would consider going if he could afford it. His levels were better controlled than before the transplant but "yoyo-ed" at times and he had some diabetic eye problems.