July 26, 2016
Customer Spotlight: Measuring Functionality of Islet Microtissues
Date: July 26, 2016
Beta cell generation has gained much traction in recent years among diabetes researchers. Investigators are not only converting adipose tissue and skin cells into beta cells, they are also starting to grow beta cells in a petri dish in vitro. Swiss company InSphero has begun measuring functionality of islet microtissues through the use of STELLUX® Chemiluminescent assays.
InSphero has developed a patent-pending 3D Select™ Process to produce the highest quality 3D microtissues on a commercial scale1. The process involves a patented selection step to ensure that when working with cryopreserved or freshly isolated primary human and animal cells, only the most viable and functional cells are enriched whilst the dead or functionally compromised cells are excluded. The 3D InSight™ microtissues are then measured for phenotype and functionality for various biological studies.
One such application is creating in vitro 3D InSight™ human islet microtissues for the study of diabetes. The standardized microtissues are re-aggregated from dispersed islets and, using a specific protocol, cultured into 96-well GravityTRAP™ Plates at one islet/well. The islets are standardized in that they are of similar size and cellular composition, and also resemble native islets. These characteristics allow for high-throughput applications without intra-assay variability. The microtissues are also capable of maintaining their function for up to 30 days, making them ideal for monitoring long-term effects of potential drug targets of beta cell function, toxicity, and efficacy.
InSphero has used and validated the STELLUX® Chemi Human Insulin ELISA to measure ongoing functionality of these human islet microtissues. The following protocol provides a step-by-step process to assess beta cell function in 3D InSight™ human islet microtissues using the STELLUX® Chemi Human Insulin ELISA.
Download the Technical Protocol
Reference
One such application is creating in vitro 3D InSight™ human islet microtissues for the study of diabetes. The standardized microtissues are re-aggregated from dispersed islets and, using a specific protocol, cultured into 96-well GravityTRAP™ Plates at one islet/well. The islets are standardized in that they are of similar size and cellular composition, and also resemble native islets. These characteristics allow for high-throughput applications without intra-assay variability. The microtissues are also capable of maintaining their function for up to 30 days, making them ideal for monitoring long-term effects of potential drug targets of beta cell function, toxicity, and efficacy.
InSphero has used and validated the STELLUX® Chemi Human Insulin ELISA to measure ongoing functionality of these human islet microtissues. The following protocol provides a step-by-step process to assess beta cell function in 3D InSight™ human islet microtissues using the STELLUX® Chemi Human Insulin ELISA.
Download the Technical Protocol
Reference
- InSphero. (2016). 3D Select™ Process. InSphero.com.