Pancreatic Islet Preparation Core

The Barbara Davis Center Pancreatic Islet Core isolates functional pancreatic islets from mice. Other organs of interest (spleen, pancreatic lymph nodes, thymus) may be collected at the same time if desired.
While services are requested through iLabs (Barbara Davis Center Bioresource Core), actual scheduling must be done by personally contacting the Core (phone or email).

Services

     Islet Harvesting

      Donor mice (client provides) are humanely euthanized, a collagenase/neutral protease cocktail is injected

      via the common bile duct, and the enzyme-inflated pancreas is removed. After incubation at 37°C the

      islets are density-gradient purified from the digested pancreas, and ultimately the clean islets are hand-

      picked under the microscope.
      The client may request the end product to be reported as either a simple islet count or scored as islet

      equivalents (IEQs; 1 IEQ = an islet roughly 150mm square).

     Islet / Tissue Transplantation

      Harvested islets are scored as IEQs and transplanted under the kidney capsule of anaesthetized

      recipient(s). Recipient mice are also provided by the client; arrangements may be made to house

      transplanted animals in the BDC Animal Facility.
      This (kidney capsule) transplantation service is also available for other tissue types (client provides).

     Animal Protocol Requirement

      Researchers requesting pancreatic islets from the Core must first possess a current IACUC-approved

      animal protocol. A protocol amendment is generally required; I need to be added to your protocol and you

      will need to include a section on our islet harvest / transplantation procedure(s). I will provide you with

      my PQF and the appropriate protocol narrative(s).

     Human Islet Program

      The Barbara Davis Center has a Master Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) in place with the Alberta

      Diabetes Institute. By providing a copy of their Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) approval, a brief

      description of their work, and signing on to the MTA, interested researchers have access to human islets

      at a cost of $0.10 CAD / IEQ (currently $75 (U.S.)/1000 IEQ plus a $50 (U.S.) shipping charge).

      Islets are typically offered every week or two. Orders are placed through the Core and are delivered here

      for distribution.

Contact:

Scott Beard​, BDC Islet Isolation Core Manager

Barbara Davis Center Rm. 4209
303-724-6832 (office)
303-319-8447 (cell)