AI Summary
Researchers have successfully imaged an entire human pancreas using 3D imaging techniques, providing new insights into islet cell distribution within the organ. The pancreas contains millions of islets of Langerhans that regulate blood sugar levels through the production of insulin and glucagon. This research may have significant implications for diabetes treatment and further understanding of how these cells communicate to maintain proper glucose levels in the body.
Researchers at Umeå University have succeeded in imaging an entire human organ, a pancreas, in microscopic resolution. By staining different cell-types with antibodies and then using optical 3D imaging techniques to study the entire organ, their data provides a partially new picture of the pancreas. The results may be of great importance for diabetes research, especially when developing various new forms of treatment.
The pancreas is a key organ for the development of diabetes, a disease that today affects over half a billion people. It contains millions of small cell clusters, the so-called islets of Langerhans, which function to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. The islets chiefly contain beta- and alpha-cells that produce the hormones insulin and glucagon, respectively. Insulin is secreted into the bloodstream and acts much like a key to unlock the body’s cells so that they can take up sugar (glucose) after a meal, the main form of energy used by the body. Glucagon in turn releases glucose stores when we need a supply of energy. Glucagon, in turn, releases glucose stores when cells need a supply of energy. These two cell-types also communicate directly with each other to optimize the correct glucose level in the body.
Both insulin and glucagon cells were discovered over a hundred years ago, and it has long been believed that the islets should contain both cell types to form a fully functioning unit.”
Ulf Ahlgren, Professor, Department of Medical and Translational Biology
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