Reporter islets in the eye reveal the plasticity of the endocrine pancreas

Abstract

The islets of Langerhans constitute the endocrine part of the pancreas and are responsible for maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis. They are deeply embedded in the exocrine pancreas, limiting their accessibility for functional studies. Understanding regulation of function and survival and assessing the clinical outcomes of individual treatment strategies for diabetes requires a monitoring system that continuously reports on the endocrine pancreas. We describe the application of a natural body window that successfully reports on the properties of in situ pancreatic islets. As proof of principle, we transplanted "reporter islets" into the anterior chamber of the eye of leptin-deficient mice. These islets displayed obesity-induced growth and vascularization patterns that were reversed by leptin treatment. Hence, reporter islets serve as optically accessible indicators of islet function in the pancreas, and also reflect the efficacy of specific treatment regimens aimed at regulating islet plasticity in vivo.