Machine Learning Algorithms, Applied to Intact Islets of Langerhans, Demonstrate Significantly Enhanced Insulin Staining at the Capillary Interface of Human Pancreatic β Cells.

Pancreatic β cells secrete the hormone insulin into the bloodstream and are critical in the control of blood glucose concentrations. β cells are clustered in the micro-organs of the islets of Langerhans, which have a rich capillary network. Recent work has highlighted the intimate spatial connections between β cells and these capillaries, which lead to the targeting of insulin secretion to the region where the β cells contact the capillary basement membrane.

Structural and functional polarisation of human pancreatic beta cells in islets from organ donors with and without type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: We hypothesised that human beta cells are structurally and functional polarised with respect to the islet capillaries. We set out to test this using confocal microscopy to map the 3D spatial arrangement of key proteins and live-cell imaging to determine the distribution of insulin granule fusion around the cells.

Methods: Human pancreas samples were rapidly fixed and processed using the pancreatic slice technique, which maintains islet structure and architecture.