Pancreatic islets make up the endocrine pancreas and they contain the only source of insulin in the body, beta cells. Hence, access to high quality preparations of pancreatic islets is fundamental for in vitro studies and to test pre-clinical applications in animal models in vivo. Access to healthy human islets is also crucial to improve transplantation procedures for diabetes. Given the susceptibility of pancreatic islets to the enzymatic digestion and mechanical stress required to obtain them, the isolation of islets is often considered as the delicate work of a craftsman. This book, which is aimed at beginners and experts alike, is a survey of the current state-ofthe-art in this field and it centres on the challenges, pitfalls and peculiarities of pancreatic islet isolation in the different species used in pre-clinical and clinical applications. It explores the similarities and differences between human islets and those from other relevantspecies (rodents, pigs and non-human primates), and how these influence islet isolation. The ultimate goal of this book is to improve the outcome of islet isolation and transplantation in pre-clinical and clinical applications.

Vivid and colourful illustrations Presents state-of-the-art research and recent advances in islet isolation A special chapter on the different and similar features between animal models and human islets Offers a comparative study of the islet isolation procedure in different animal models and humans

Autorentext
Miriam Ramírez-Domínguez, University of the Basque Country, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Cell Therapy of Diabetes, Leioa, Spain

Inhalt

Historical Background of Pancreatic Islet Isolation, Miriam Ramírez-Domínguez.- The Different Faces of the Pancreatic Islets, Midhat H.Abdulreda, Rayner Rodriguez-Diaz, Over Cabrera, Alejandro Caicedo, Per-Olof Berggren.- Isolation of Mouse Pancreatic Islets of Langerhans, Miriam Ramírez-Domínguez.- Pancreatic Islets: Methods for Isolation and Purification of Juvenile and Adult Pig Islets, Heide Brandhorst, Paul R.V. Johnson, Daniel Brandhorst.- Isolation of Pancreatic Islets from NonHuman Primates, Dora M. Berman.- Necessities for a Clinical Islet Program, Wayne John Hawthorne.- Clinical Islet Isolation, Wayne John Hawthorne, Lindy Jane Williams, Yi Vee Chew.- Index.