The distinct population of endothelial cells that line blood vessels in the insulin-producing “islets” of the human pancreas have been notoriously difficult to study, but Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have now succeeded in comprehensively detailing the unique characteristics of these cells.

The resulting atlas advances basic research on the biology of the pancreas and could lead to new treatment strategies for diabetes and other pancreatic diseases.

In the study, published in Nature Communications, the researchers devised a set of methods for rapidly isolating and profiling endothelial cells called ISECs (islet-specific endothelial cells) from donor pancreases.