Assessment of pancreatic islet growth by automated imaging

A reduced number of insulin producing cells in the pancreas, clustered in the so‐called pancreatic islets, is an important factor in almost all types of diabetes mellitus. Thus increasing the number of insulin producing cells would be a logical step to treat diabetes mellitus. However, the current treatment of diabetes mellitus is symptomatic in nature in order to prevent symptoms due to high glucose values and to prevent long term complications. So factors need to be identified that can increase the number of insulin producing cells. This can be beneficial in the context of regeneration (more insulin producing cells in the pancreas) and in the context of cell replacement therapy (increasing the number of insulin producing cells in a laboratory that can be used for transplantation). For the identification of these factors technology platforms are needed.

In this project a multiwell screening platform was set up focused on the imaging of growth and functionality of insulin producing cells. There was success in setting up the method of incorporating the cluster of insulin producing cells (islets) in gel‐loaded multiwell plates, determining imaging parameters and imaging the change in size of the islets. A method was set up to determine the functionality of the islets and correlate functionality with size. Now this enables to use this platform to investigate molecules that can stimulate the growth of insulin producing cells.