Patent ID: 6361995
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: C12N,G01N

Abstract:
A method of protecting isolated pancreatic islet &bgr;-cells from toxicity of nitric oxide and/or streptozotocin-like molecules that are generated during isolation, wherein said method comprises the steps of:excising said islet &bgr;-cells from a freshly resected pancreas; resuspending said islets in an isolation buffer containing one or more compounds that metabolically stimulate the glucosamine pathway, wherein said compounds are selected from the group consisting of glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, a combination of glutamine and glucose, and high concentration glucose, wherein high concentration glucose is defined as at least 6 mM glucose; and, maintaining said islet &bgr;-cells in solutions containing one or more of said compounds that stimulate the glucosamine pathway throughout subsequent isolation steps.