Enhancement of Harvested Islet Functionality Through Photostimulation

Allogeneic islet transplantation is a promising treatment for Type I diabetes, but its success is limited by islet loss during isolation, purification, and engraftment, resulting in variable long-term insulin independence. Our previous studies demonstrated that photobiomodulation (PBM) significantly enhances insulin and glucagon secretion in pancreatic cells, likely through modulation of ATP production and calcium signaling pathways involved in hormone release. Building on these mechanistic findings, we investigated whether PBM could similarly improve the functionality of whole islets before transplantation. Mouse islets were isolated by pancreatectomy, cultured ex vivo, and treated daily with PBM for 7 days. Fluorescence imaging and functional assays were used to assess insulin expression and secretion. PBM significantly enhanced insulin secretion, with an approximately twofold increase observed after 3 days of treatment. These findings support PBM as a promising, noninvasive approach for improving islet function before transplantation.