Development, characterization, and optimization of mesenchymal stromal cell pseudoislet formation techniques

Currently, over 100 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, a disease caused by the dysfunction and ultimate failure of specific cells within the pancreas called islets of Langerhans. While islets obtained from organ donors have contributed to increasing our understanding of this key organ, ongoing research of causes and treatments of the disease are difficult due to the high variability between islet donors. Along with this, islet cells only remain functional within a maximum of a week when cultured. Efforts have been made to increase longevity and functionality of islet cells to further the window for meaningful research. One route of interest is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as they have been shown to improve a multitude of autoimmune diseases.

In this study, I aimed to develop a new protocol using a new formation technique with and without incorporation of MSCs with the goal of promoting the longevity and function past the current 1-week limit. I compared the efficacy of this technique to the current established protocol through key factors such as consistent cell formation, healthiness, and functionality through insulin secretion. While pseudoislets were comparable in function between the two techniques, my new technique has the added benefit that it enables the islets to be arranged in an array, making consistent analysis of large numbers of islets fast and repeatable.