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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Leprdb Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes: Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Live-cell 2-Photon Imaging Of Intact Islets

Leprdb Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes: Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Live-cell 2-Photon Imaging Of Intact Islets

Published on: May 11, 2015

Decrease in Ins⁺Glut2^LO β-cells with advancing age in mouse and human pancreas.

Christine A Beamish^1,2, Sofia Mehta¹, Brenda J Strutt¹

¹Lawson Health Research InstituteSt Joseph Health Care, London, Ontario, Canada.

The Journal of Endocrinology

|March 29, 2017

Summary

Resident pancreatic progenitor cells, identified as insulin-expressing but glucose transporter-2-low (Ins+Glut2LO) cells, are found in both mouse and human islets. These cells are enriched in small β-cell clusters and may contribute to β-cell plasticity.

Keywords:

Glut2 aging islet regeneration β-cell

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Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation

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Staining Protocols for Human Pancreatic Islets

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Published on: May 23, 2012

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Last Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Leprdb Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes: Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Live-cell 2-Photon Imaging Of Intact Islets

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Published on: May 11, 2015

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation

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Published on: August 7, 2015

Staining Protocols for Human Pancreatic Islets

Staining Protocols for Human Pancreatic Islets

Published on: May 23, 2012

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Developmental Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

The existence and location of pancreatic β-cell progenitors remain debated.
A specific cell type, insulin-expressing but glucose transporter-2-low (Ins+Glut2LO) cells, has been proposed as a potential multipotent progenitor in adult mouse and human islets.
These putative progenitor cells are found in higher proportions within small, extra-islet β-cell clusters in mice.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate and compare the origin and distribution of Ins+Glut2LO cells in mouse and human pancreata across different life stages.
To determine if these cells function as pancreatic progenitors throughout life.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of mouse and human pancreatic tissues across various developmental and adult stages.
Immunohistochemistry was used to detect insulin, GLUT2, and Ki67 expression and localization.
Analysis included postnatal mice, adult mice (including after streptozotocin-induced β-cell depletion), and human tissues from fetal to adult stages.

Main Results:

Ins+Glut2LO cells were consistently more abundant in β-cell clusters than in islets in both species throughout life.
The proportion of β cells in clusters relative to islets was higher in humans than in mice and decreased during adolescence in humans.
In mice, Ins+Glut2LO cell numbers and cluster proportions decreased post-STZ, but these cells were associated with new β-cell formation during regeneration, particularly in clusters and small islets.

Conclusions:

Ins+Glut2LO cells are preferentially located in pancreatic β-cell clusters in both mice and humans across all ages studied.
These findings support the hypothesis that Ins+Glut2LO cells within β-cell clusters represent a source of pancreatic β-cell plasticity and potential regeneration.