A vascularized 3D model of the human pancreatic islet forstudy of immune cell-islet interaction.

Insulin is an essential regulator of blood glucose homeostasis that is produced exclusively bycells within the pancreatic islets of healthy individuals. In those affected by diabetes, immune inflammation, damage, and destruction of isletcells leads to insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Current efforts to understand the mechanisms underlyingcell damage in diabetes rely on-cultured cadaveric islets.