N-Acetylcysteine is a well known antioxidant drug which is used in patients with pulmonary diseases to facilitate expectorations, and also as therapy of paracetamol intoxication. A recent study performed by Claire Beuneu, Olivier Vosters and Valérie Verhasselt demonstrated that this drug reduces the procoagulant activity of human islet cells and might therefore be useful to improve the outcome of islet cell transplants. This work is published in the February 2007 issue of Diabetologia, the official journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Related reference: Beuneu C, Vosters O, Ling Z, Pipeleers D, Pradier O, Goldman M, Verhasselt V. N-Acetylcysteine derivative inhibits procoagulant activity of human islet cells. Diabetologia 2007 : 50 : 343-347. View Abstract