Researchers in Germany have developed a 3D culture of pancreatic cells to better replicate the ones found in humans, contributing to diabetes research. 

In a study from the EARA member Max Delbrück Center (MDC), scientists used human stem cells to grow 3D cultures – organoids, closer to human pancreatic cells, namely islets that are responsible for the production of insulin in response to increased blood sugar levels.

The organoids included insulin-producing cells (beta cells), support cells (fibroblasts) and small blood vessels, which helped the beta cells mature. When integrated into microfluidic device technology that mimics blood flow, this further improved beta cell maturation.  

After transplantation into mice with induced diabetes, the organoids with blood vessels regulated blood glucose levels more effectively than the ones without blood vessels. 

The team now plans to develop organoids using patient-derived cells to study how the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in type 1 diabetes. “We want to understand how the immune cells destroy beta cells,” Maike Sander, team leader at the MDC, explains. “Our approach provides a more realistic model of islet cell function and could help develop better treatments in the future.” 

This study – published in Developmental Cell – supports previous findings that the inclusion of blood vessels enhanced the function of pancreatic organoids and highlights their value to study the disease and the development of new therapies.