This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the temporal changes observed in human pancreatic islets transplanted into mouse kidney across three time points (Week 4, Week 16, and Week 20). The analysis focuses on characterizing cell type composition, spatial organization, and intercellular interaction patterns to understand the biological processes underlying xenograft adaptation and survival. The primary goal is to delineate the dynamic remodeling of cellular architecture that occurs during the post-transplantation period and identify key factors that may contribute to successful engraftment and function of the transplanted islets.
Pancreatic islet transplantation represents a promising therapeutic approach for type 1 diabetes, offering the potential for improved glycemic control and reduced dependence on exogenous insulin. However, challenges including limited islet survival post-transplantation and immune rejection have restricted its widespread clinical application. Xenotransplantation, using non-human donor islets, presents an alternative strategy to address organ shortage but faces additional immunological barriers.
This study investigated the temporal evolution of human pancreatic islet xenografts in mouse kidney using spatial transcriptomics. By analyzing cellular composition, spatial organization, and cell-cell interactions at three time points (Week 4, Week 16, and Week 20), the research aimed to characterize the adaptation processes that occur during xenograft integration with host tissue.
- How does cellular composition of transplanted islets change over time?
- What spatial reorganization patterns emerge during graft adaptation?
- How do interactions between different cell types evolve post-transplantation?
- What mechanisms may contribute to graft survival and functional integration?
The analysis employed a systematic approach to characterize the xenotransplanted human pancreatic islets:
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Dimensionality Reduction Analysis: UMAP visualization was used to examine cell type clustering patterns across time points, revealing population-level relationships between human donor and mouse host cells.
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Cell Type Composition Analysis: Quantitative assessment of cell type proportions at each time point (Week 4, Week 16, Week 20) using normalized percentages, visualized through stacked bar plots and heatmaps.
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Spatial Distribution Mapping: Scatter plots of cell coordinates colored by cell type were generated for each tissue slice, enabling visualization of the spatial organization of different cell populations.
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Cell-Cell Interaction Analysis: Neighborhood enrichment analysis using spatial statistics to quantify preferential associations or avoidances between cell types, presented as heatmaps with z-score values.
The dataset consisted of STARmap spatial transcriptomic data from human pancreatic islets grafted on mouse kidney, with multiple slices per time point. The analysis pipeline integrated cell type identification, compositional analysis, spatial mapping, and interaction quantification to provide a comprehensive characterization of xenograft evolution.
The UMAP visualization revealed distinct clustering of different cell populations with clear separation between human donor and mouse host cells:
- Human endocrine cells (alpha, beta, delta) clustered together but maintained separate identities
- Human mesenchymal and exocrine cells formed distinct clusters
- Mouse kidney cells (nephron, vascular, ureteric epithelium) clustered separately from human cells
Quantitative cell type composition analysis revealed significant temporal changes:
- Alpha Cells: Dramatic fluctuation in proportion - 10.7% (Week 4) → 25.6% (Week 16) → 11.9% (Week 20)
- Beta Cells: Progressive decline - 19.6% (Week 4) → 13.6% (Week 16) → 11.5% (Week 20)
- Delta Cells: Steady increase - 0.9% (Week 4) → 1.8% (Week 16) → 3.0% (Week 20)
- Mesenchymal Cells: Dramatic expansion - 0.1% (Week 4) → 4.4% (Week 16) → 19.1% (Week 20)
- Enterochromaffin Cells: Substantial decline - 12.5% (Week 4) → 1.4% (Week 16) → 1.0% (Week 20)
- Exocrine Cells: Fluctuation with overall increase - 3.6% (Week 4) → 2.2% (Week 16) → 8.7% (Week 20)
The alpha-to-beta cell ratio shifted significantly: 0.55 (Week 4) → 1.88 (Week 16) → 1.04 (Week 20), indicating dynamic remodeling of the endocrine compartment.
Spatial distribution maps revealed distinct organizational patterns:
- Islet-Like Structure Formation: Human endocrine cells consistently clustered in islet-like structures across all time points
- Cell Type Zonation: Alpha cells frequently positioned at the periphery of islet structures, with beta cells forming the core, reflecting native islet architecture
- Mesenchymal Expansion Pattern: Progressive formation of a mesenchymal network surrounding islet structures, particularly evident by Week 20
- Host-Graft Interface: Clear boundary between human islet structures and mouse kidney tissue, with selective vascular integration
- Exocrine Segregation: Exocrine cells formed distinct clusters separate from islet structures, particularly in Week 20 samples
Notably, delta cells increasingly positioned at the interface between alpha and beta cells over time, suggesting maturation of paracrine signaling networks.
Neighborhood enrichment analysis revealed evolving interaction patterns:
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Endocrine Cell Homotypic Interactions: Strengthening over time
- Alpha-alpha: 21.4 → 59.0 → 66.2
- Beta-beta: 49.0 → 62.2 → 83.6
- Delta-delta: 9.1 → 25.3 → 48.1
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Mesenchymal Cell Behavior:
- Mesenchymal-mesenchymal: -0.1 → 48.7 → 97.0
- Initially neutral with endocrine cells, becoming increasingly negative by Week 20
- Strong negative association with mouse nephron cells: 0.8 → -8.7 → -38.0
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Host-Graft Boundary:
- Increasing negative enrichment between human endocrine and mouse nephron cells
- Alpha cells and mouse nephron: -20.2 → -56.3 → -41.9
- Beta cells and mouse nephron: -39.8 → -47.0 → -44.3
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Exocrine Cell Isolation:
- Exocrine-exocrine: 71.6 → 90.3 → 117.8
- Increasingly negative associations with all other cell types
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Delta Cell Integration:
- Increasing association with alpha cells: 5.3 → 8.9 → 15.3
- Minimal association with beta cells across all time points
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Enterochromaffin Cell Behavior:
- Decreasing self-association: 29.2 → 9.0 → 2.7
- Early association with alpha cells (14.6) diminishing over time (0.6 by Week 20)
These interaction patterns reveal progressive compartmentalization and specialization of cellular neighborhoods within the xenograft.
The dynamic changes in alpha-to-beta cell ratio observed in this study reflect a significant remodeling of the endocrine compartment post-transplantation. The initial increase in alpha-to-beta ratio at Week 16, followed by normalization by Week 20, suggests a biphasic response to transplantation stress. This aligns with findings that alpha cells may be more resistant to stress during transplantation than beta cells, as documented in studies of islet transplantation outcomes ("Beta-cell function following human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes").
The observed alpha-beta cell spatial organization, with alpha cells positioned peripherally and beta cells forming the core of islet structures, recapitulates aspects of native islet architecture. This arrangement facilitates paracrine signaling, which is critical for coordinated hormone secretion. As noted in research on islet architecture, "The pancreatic islet functions as a single organ with tightly coordinated signaling between the different cell types" ("Alpha-, delta-and PP-cells: are they the architectural cornerstones of islet structure and co-ordination?").
The dramatic expansion of mesenchymal cells (0.1% → 19.1%) represents one of the most striking findings of this study. This expansion, coupled with the spatial distribution forming a network around islet structures, strongly suggests a protective role. Studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal cells can enhance islet transplantation outcomes through multiple mechanisms:
- Immunomodulation and prevention of inflammatory responses
- Promotion of revascularization
- Secretion of trophic factors that support islet cell survival
Research has shown that "MSCs have the capacity to improve the outcomes of islet transplantation in animal models of T1D" ("Protecting islet functional viability using mesenchymal stromal cells"). The observed spatial positioning of mesenchymal cells around islet structures by Week 20 likely represents an adaptive response that enhances graft survival by creating a protective microenvironment.
The neighborhood enrichment analysis revealed complex patterns of interaction between mouse vascular cells and human islet cells. The consistent negative enrichment scores between vascular cells and endocrine cells suggest that vascularization occurs primarily at the periphery of islet structures rather than through direct infiltration. This pattern may reflect the revascularization process described in the literature where "islet vascularization not only allows direct cellular exchanges, but also influences the characteristics and spatial arrangement of islet endocrine and immune cells" ("Vessel Network Architecture of Adult Human Islets Promotes Distinct Cell-Cell Interactions In Situ and Is Altered After Transplantation").
The increasing positive association between mouse vascular cells and mouse nephron cells indicates that host vasculature maintains its native connections while extending into the graft area. This revascularization pattern is crucial for graft survival, as noted in research showing that "neovascularization of transplanted islets is essential for their survival and function" ("Vascularization of purified pancreatic islet-like cell aggregates (pseudoislets) after syngeneic transplantation").
The steady increase in delta cells (0.9% → 3.0%) and their specific positioning at the interface between alpha and beta cells suggests an important regulatory adaptation. Delta cells secrete somatostatin, which regulates both alpha and beta cell function through paracrine signaling. Research has shown that "delta cells form synchronized networks within islets" and "delta cell filopodia allow an ~tenfold increase in potential direct interactions with beta and alpha cells" ("Structural basis for delta cell paracrine regulation in pancreatic islets").
The preferential association of delta cells with alpha cells rather than beta cells, as revealed in the neighborhood enrichment analysis, aligns with findings that delta cells may differentially regulate alpha cell function in response to metabolic changes. This strategic positioning likely contributes to the establishment of proper hormone secretion dynamics within the transplanted islets.
The substantial decrease in enterochromaffin cells (12.5% → 1.0%) represents an intriguing finding. Enterochromaffin cells are normally rare in native pancreatic islets but have been observed in stem cell-derived islets and during islet development or regeneration. Recent research indicates that "enterochromaffin cells originate from an intestinal lineage, while islet cells differentiate from a distinct pancreatic lineage" ("Single-nucleus multi-omics of human stem cell-derived islets identifies deficiencies in lineage specification").
The high initial presence followed by decline may represent a transient regenerative response that diminishes as the graft matures. This pattern could reflect cellular plasticity during the early adaptation phase, with subsequent lineage restriction as the graft stabilizes. The decline in enterochromaffin cells coincides with the normalization of endocrine cell ratios, potentially indicating maturation of the transplanted islets.
This comprehensive analysis of human pancreatic islet xenotransplantation revealed several key insights into the temporal evolution of cellular composition, spatial organization, and interaction patterns:
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The xenograft undergoes distinct adaptation phases characterized by initial stress response (Week 4), endocrine remodeling (Week 16), and subsequent stabilization (Week 20)
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Mesenchymal cell expansion represents a critical adaptive response that likely contributes to graft survival through the formation of a protective microenvironment
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Endocrine cells maintain their native architectural organization with alpha cells at the periphery and beta cells in the core, facilitating proper paracrine signaling
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Delta cells increase steadily and position strategically to regulate alpha and beta cell function through paracrine mechanisms
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Progressive compartmentalization of different cell types creates spatially defined functional domains within the graft
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The xenograft-host interface shows increasing definition over time, with specific patterns of exclusion and selective vascular integration
Several avenues for future research emerge from these findings:
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Functional assessment of the transplanted islets at different time points to correlate cellular architecture with hormone secretion capacity
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Investigation of the specific molecular mechanisms underlying mesenchymal cell protective effects in xenotransplantation
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Targeted manipulation of mesenchymal cell expansion to enhance graft survival and function
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Exploration of strategies to accelerate vascularization while maintaining proper islet architecture
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Characterization of the extracellular matrix components that may contribute to spatial organization and cell type interactions
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Investigation of the origin and function of enterochromaffin cells in the context of islet transplantation
The insights gained from this study have several potential applications:
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Development of optimized protocols for islet transplantation that promote beneficial cellular architecture and interactions
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Design of bioengineered scaffolds that mimic the supportive microenvironment created by mesenchymal cells
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Targeted cellular therapies that combine islet cells with supportive mesenchymal populations to enhance graft outcomes
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Improved strategies for monitoring graft health based on cellular composition and interaction patterns
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Development of interventions to accelerate the transition from early stress response to stable graft architecture
In conclusion, this study provides a detailed characterization of the dynamic cellular changes that occur during human pancreatic islet xenotransplantation. The findings highlight the importance of considering not only cellular composition but also spatial organization and interaction patterns in understanding graft adaptation and survival. These insights contribute to the foundation for developing improved approaches to islet transplantation for the treatment of diabetes.
- Paracrine signaling in islet function and survival
- Paracrine and autocrine interactions in the human islet: more than meets the eye
- Structural basis for delta cell paracrine regulation in pancreatic islets
- Paracrine regulation of insulin secretion
- Alpha-cell paracrine signaling in the regulation of beta-cell insulin secretion
- Integrating the inputs that shape pancreatic islet hormone release
- Comprehensive alpha, beta and delta cell transcriptomes reveal that ghrelin selectively activates delta cells and promotes somatostatin release from pancreatic islets
- Paracrine interactions within islets of Langerhans
- Cell–cell interactions in the endocrine pancreas
- Protecting islet functional viability using mesenchymal stromal cells
- Potential role of mesenchymal stromal cells in pancreatic islet transplantation
- Mesenchymal stem cell in pancreatic islet transplantation
- Human mesenchymal stem cells protect human islets from pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Mesenchymal stem cells prevent acute rejection and prolong graft function in pancreatic islet transplantation
- Mesenchymal stromal cells improve transplanted islet survival and islet function in a syngeneic mouse model
- Cell rearrangement in transplanted human islets
- Vessel Network Architecture of Adult Human Islets Promotes Distinct Cell-Cell Interactions In Situ and Is Altered After Transplantation
- Vascularization of purified pancreatic islet-like cell aggregates (pseudoislets) after syngeneic transplantation
- Revascularization and remodelling of pancreatic islets grafted under the kidney capsule
- Bioengineering the vascularized endocrine pancreas: a fine-tuned interplay between vascularization, extracellular-matrix-based scaffold architecture, and insulin secretion
- Vascular and immune interactions in islets transplantation and 3D islet models
- A focus on enterochromaffin cells among the enteroendocrine cells: localization, morphology, and role
- Heterogeneity of enterochromaffin cells within the gastrointestinal tract
- Tissue-and cell-specific properties of enterochromaffin cells affect the fate of tumorigenesis toward nonendocrine adenocarcinoma of the small intestine
- Single-nucleus multi-omics of human stem cell-derived islets identifies deficiencies in lineage specification
- Beta-cell function following human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes
- Alpha-, delta-and PP-cells: are they the architectural cornerstones of islet structure and co-ordination?