Our focus is on type-one diabetes research, emphasizing therapies that regulate the immune system and restore beta/alpha cell functions. We have developed a unique study platform using living human pancreas slices from organ donations, complementing isolated islet research. This approach enables detailed analysis of vital cellular interactions and functions.
Our collaboration with a network for pancreatic organ donors offers community investigators access to pancreatic tissue slices. However, culturing these slices presents challenges, as digestive enzymes can degrade the tissue and reduce viability. Therefore, there's a pressing need to establish culture conditions that maintain both viability and a physiological environment for accurate functional studies.
Our protocol enables the collection of functional data on all cells within the pancreas, so investigators can use it for a variety of studies. Our own focus is on modeling type-one diabetes and evaluating mechanisms of actions for drugs. A key question for me is to address alpha cell function and their role in type-one diabetes.
Our protocol not only overcomes the survivor bias associated with isolated islets but also uniquely facilitates the study of immune cells crucial in the context of type-one diabetes. By studying whole pancreas tissue, we can assess function and responses that more closely reflect the in-vivo environment. We're committed to sharing advancements in the pancreas slice platform with others.
Through nPOD, our goal is to encourage collaboration, enabling more effective addressing of critical questions. By modeling disease mechanisms and testing potential therapeutic drugs, we aim to contribute significantly to the advancement on novel treatments.
