Author Spotlight: Techniques and Challenges in Islet Purification for Xenotransplantation

Our lab focuses on microencapsulation for pancreatic islet xenotransplantation. This requires reliable islet isolation and purification. We tackle this challenge by isolating the pancreas without damaging it from warm ischemia or mechanical injury.

And this offers strategies for effective digestion and a high islet yield. Isolating pancreatic islets is very challenging. Both the yield and purity depend on every phase of the process being executed effectively and efficiently from the organ procurement and digestion to the islet purification.

Furthermore, ethical and humane considerations are important when planning animal procedures that will facilitate optimal outcomes while reducing any animal suffering. So here we demonstrate that we can percutaneously cannulate the aorta to selectively perfuse the pancreas. This technique allows us to efficiently preserve the pancreas and then isolate the islets.

So a major advantage of our protocol is the use of Seldinger technique for aortic cannulation. This helps maintain a bloodless operative field and preserves the dissection planes. This technique can also be easily adapted for smaller pigs simply by using a smaller sheath.

Our lab is currently investigating methods for creating an on-demand supply of pancreatic islets. Specifically, we're interested in seeing if encapsulating islets in a hydrogel can prolong their lifespan and improve their function in vitro and in culture. The ultimate goal is to reliably isolate porcine islets to use it in transplantation research, or even for xenotransplantation.