(Islet Core) The specialized islet biology expertise of the Islet Procurement and Research Core (IPRC) will provide SDRC investigators with the capacity to perform modern molecular, cellular and functional studies of high-quality islets and pancreata from rodents and humans. The SDRC's large group of collaborative investigators study a broad spectrum of islet biology in physiological or pathological settings, including islet development, functional maturation, maintenance of mature cell fate, proliferation, genetics, epigenetics, gene regulation, inter-organ signaling, intra-islet cell signal transduction, islet immunology, and aging, to name a few. A central aspect of the IPRC is our direct focus on parallel studies in rodent and human tissues. An essential component supporting the majority of studies falling under this paradigm is our ability to isolate high-quality, well- characterized rodent pancreatic islets, and then to perform assays of islet cellular, molecular and physiological phenotypes. This is coupled with a reliable, robust programs in the IPRC to procure high-quality human islets that have increased the number of SDRC investigators studying human islet biology. The support of transplantation-based studies of human islet cell function, growth and fate by the IPRC will also enhance potential translational studies of human islets for diabetes. In addition to these services, the IPRC is committed to training investigators in specialized methods of islet biology, like islet isolation and transplantation, islet culture and specialized assays including insulin ELISA, glucagon ELISA, perfusion and static batch insulin secretion assays, and immunohistology. IPRC personnel will work closely with SDRC investigators to build efficient experimental strategies tailored to their aims. The IPRC also serves the Stanford community of science and the SDRC by continuously developing new experimental capacity to match the dynamic demands of modern islet investigations. This includes assays of islet function, new approaches to investigate human islet cell genetics, new models of islet transplantation, and assistance in developing new clinical islet programs at the hospitals and clinics of Stanford Health Care. The IPRC also enhances the use of other Research Cores in the Stanford DRC. Together with the Diabetes Immune Monitoring Core (DIMC) and the Diabetes Genomics & Analysis Core (DGAC), the IPRC will integrate efforts permitting cellular, genetic, molecular, physiological and genome studies of human pancreas- and islet-associated cells relevant to diabetes, including immune, stromal and vascular cells. In summary, the Islet Procurement and Research Core will serve as an invaluable, novel resource for the SDRC, providing investigators with the pancreas- and islet-specific expertise and training to enable and expand their diabetes-related research.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 46 publications
