Long-Term Culture and Maintenance of Human Islets of Langerhans in Memphis Serum-Free Media

Tissue culture refers to the in vitro growth or maintenance of organs, tissues, or cells. Methods of tissue culture in most cases have the dual goals of preservation of physical integrity and viability (1 ,1 ). As a nonreplicating tissue responsible for significant endocrine hormone production, islets of Langerhans represent a unique challenge for the tissue-culture laboratory. Physical integrity must be maintained not only on a cellular level, but also in terms of the three-dimensional (3D) matrix and multicellular composition of the intact islets. The maintenance of viability with respect to islet culture requires not only the preservation of cellular integrity, but also the retention of an ability to respond to external stimuli in a physiologically appropriate manner. Specifically, with respect to the suitability of tissue for islet transplantation, this refers to preserving the ability to produce and release insulin in response to secretagogues.