The evaluation of solutions for pancreas preservation prior to islet isolation

We have demonstrated the U.W. solution to be superior to commonly used solutions for storage of the pancreas prior to islet isolation in a rodent model with respect to both the number of islets recovered, and the in vitro functional integrity of those islets. For prolonged storage, delivery of the U.W. solution via a ductal injection was superior to delivery via in situ flush. Current methods of multiorgan harvesting may not allow for optimal storage of cadaver pancreas prior to islet isolation. Preliminary studies demonstrate that large numbers of viable islets can be recovered from the human pancreas up to 20 hr after in situ flush with and storage in the U.W. solution. While these studies with rat and human pancreas demonstrate improved results with the U.W. solution, considerable room clearly exists for improvement in pancreas storage prior to islet isolation.