iPreP is a three-dimensional nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel platform for long-term ex vivo preservation of human islets.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2019

Keywords

JMG

JAX Source

JCI Insight 2019; 4(21):e124644

Volume

4

Issue

21

ISSN

2379-3708

PMID

31672937

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.124644

Abstract

Islet transplantation is an effective therapy for achieving and maintaining normoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, the supply of transplantable human islets is limited. Upon removal from the pancreas, islets rapidly disintegrate and lose function, resulting in a short interval for studies of islet biology and pretransplantation assessment. Here, we developed a biomimetic platform that can sustain human islet physiology for a prolonged period ex vivo. Our approach involved the creation of a multichannel perifusion system to monitor dynamic insulin secretion and intracellular calcium flux simultaneously, enabling the systematic evaluation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion under multiple conditions. Using this tool, we developed a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel-based islet-preserving platform (iPreP) that can preserve islet viability, morphology, and function for nearly 12 weeks ex vivo, and with the ability to ameliorate glucose levels upon transplantation into diabetic hosts. Our platform has potential applications in the prolonged maintenance of human islets, providing an expanded time window for pretransplantation assessment and islet studies.

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