[Floating cell cultures of the fetal pancreas]

A simple method for preparing human and animal fetal pancreatic cell cultures has been developed. It is based on enzymatic treatment of the fetal pancreatic tissue with collalitine in combination with microdissection. As a result of subsequent cultivation there form floating cytotypic and organotypic cultures consisting mainly of B cells in different phases of the secretory cycle. The floating cultures prepared by the above-described method produce insulin and can be successfully used in experimental and clinical transplantology.