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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Human Pancreatic Islet Isolation: Part II: Purification and Culture of Human Islets
Published on: May 26, 2009
Culture of human pancreatic islet cells
1Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Insights
Pancreatic islets contain hormone-producing cells like insulin-secreting beta cells. Researchers developed methods to isolate these islets for studying diabetes research in vitro.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
- Histology
Background:
- Pancreatic islets are microorgans crucial for hormone production.
- They constitute 1-2% of pancreatic mass, with approximately 1-2 million islets in humans.
- Islets contain distinct cell types, including insulin-producing beta cells, glucagon-producing alpha cells, somatostatin-producing delta cells, and pancreatic polypeptide-producing PP cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the cellular composition and structure of pancreatic islets.
- To highlight the importance of beta cells in insulin production.
- To introduce methods for isolating and culturing pancreatic islets for in vitro studies.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of pancreatic islet structure.
- Cellular identification based on hormone production (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide).
- Development of techniques for isolating and culturing pancreatic islets.
Main Results:
- Detailed description of the four main endocrine cell types within pancreatic islets.
- Identification of beta cells as the predominant cell type, located centrally.
- Observation of alpha and delta cells in the periphery, with PP cells scattered.
- Recognition of associated vascular and neural tissues within islets.
Conclusions:
- Pancreatic islets are complex microorgans essential for metabolic regulation.
- The distinct cellular arrangement facilitates coordinated hormone secretion.
- Isolated pancreatic islets are valuable tools for in vitro research, particularly in diabetes studies.
Abstract:
The pancreatic islet is a microorgan composed of four types of hormone-producing cells. In the human pancreas, the islets comprise about l-2%; of the pancreatic mass, and the islet number is approx 1-2 × 10(6). The majority of cells, which are mainly located in the center of the islet, are the insulin-producing ß;β-cells In the periphery, α-cells and δ-cells synthesizing glucagon and somatostatin, respectively, are found. Finally, a small number of cells containing pancreatic polypeptide (PP) are scattered within the islets (1). In addition, in the intact pancreatic islet nerve cell fibers, vascular tissue as well as a few residing immune cells can also be observed. Owing to the requirements to study the in vitro function of the ß;cells for various aspects of diabetes research, methods have been developed to isolate and culture free pancreatic islets.
