The Human Islet: Mini-Organ With Mega-Impact

Overview

Journal Endocr Rev

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2021 Apr 12

PMID 33844836

Citations 37

Authors

John T Walker

Diane C Saunders

Marcela Brissova

Alvin C Powers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This review focuses on the human pancreatic islet-including its structure, cell composition, development, function, and dysfunction. After providing a historical timeline of key discoveries about human islets over the past century, we describe new research approaches and technologies that are being used to study human islets and how these are providing insight into human islet physiology and pathophysiology. We also describe changes or adaptations in human islets in response to physiologic challenges such as pregnancy, aging, and insulin resistance and discuss islet changes in human diabetes of many forms. We outline current and future interventions being developed to protect, restore, or replace human islets. The review also highlights unresolved questions about human islets and proposes areas where additional research on human islets is needed.

Citing Articles

Demise of cadaveric islet transplantation in the USA: Quo Vadis, 1 year after BLA approval and 24 years after the Edmonton breakthrough?.

Witkowski P, Wojcik N, Appelbaum N, Fung J, Barth R, Ricordi C Front Transplant. 2025; 4:1491568.

PMID: 39949592 PMC: 11822476. DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2025.1491568.

Multi-omics analysis of long-term cultured human islets.

Sun G, Qi M, Sun O, Lizhar E, Hussey D, Shi Y bioRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39763987 PMC: 11703225. DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.25.626491.

Heterogeneous endocrine cell composition defines human islet functional phenotypes.

Evans-Molina C, Pettway Y, Saunders D, Sharp S, Bate T, Sun H bioRxiv. 2024; .

PMID: 39605606 PMC: 11601672. DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.20.623809.

Emerging approaches for the development of artificial islets.

Li J, Sun L, Bian F, Pandol S, Li L Smart Med. 2024; 3(2):e20230042.

PMID: 39188698 PMC: 11235711. DOI: 10.1002/SMMD.20230042.

Multiple promoter and enhancer differences likely contribute to augmented G6PC2 expression in human versus mouse pancreatic islet alpha cells.

Martin C, Oeser J, Wangmo T, Flemming B, Attie A, Keller M J Mol Endocrinol. 2024; 73(3).

PMID: 39121091 PMC: 11439184. DOI: 10.1530/JME-24-0051.

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