Cell Transplantation (May 2000)

Isolation of Adult Porcine Islets of Langerhans

  • Christian Toso M.D.,
  • Daniel Brandhorst,
  • José Oberholzer,
  • Frédéric Triponez,
  • Léo Bühler,
  • Philippe Morel

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/096368970000900301
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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While human islet allotransplantation is limited due to the shortage of donors, pig islet xenotransplantation appears to be a possible alternative. Enzymatic digestion is the method most commonly used for adult pig islet isolation, but since the description of the semiautomated isolation technique in the late 1980s, yields of pig islet isolations have not increased significantly. This review article is intended to collate published information on adult pig islet isolation to provide the reader with a clear overview of the relevant issues in this field, and to detail the current state of the art.