During the ESOT conference 2025, a remarkable innovation was presented that could improve the future of diabetes care. An international team of scientists succeeded in using a specially developed bio-ink to 3D print functional human islets of insulin-producing cell clusters in the pancreas. This technology offers the prospect of safe, less invasive and personalised treatment for type 1 diabetes.
The islets were manufactured using a custom-made bio-ink based on alginate and decellularised human pancreatic tissue. This resulted in viable, functioning cell structures with a high density, which remained stable for up to three weeks. Under laboratory conditions, the printed islets responded effectively to glucose and released insulin adequately, highlighting their therapeutic potential.
Subcutaneous placement
What sets this approach apart is the implantation location: instead of in the liver, where traditional methods result in significant cell loss, the 3D-printed islets are placed subcutaneously. This makes the procedure less stressful, safer and more scalable for broad clinical application. Only local anaesthesia and a small incision are required.
The researchers used their bio-ink to simulate the natural environment of the pancreas, so that the islets received the necessary oxygen and nutrients. By using low printing pressure (30 kPa) and a slow printing speed (20 mm/min), the team was able to keep the delicate cell structures intact, something that had hampered previous bioprinting attempts.
Structural stability
After 21 days, the islets showed a strong glucose response and structural stability. The porous architecture of the printed structures also promoted oxygen supply and vascularisation. These are both crucial factors for successful cell transplantation. More than 90% of the cells remained viable, an impressive result.
It is also important to note that this is one of the first studies to actually use human islets, rather than animal alternatives, in the bioprinting process. This brings a clinically applicable, personalised therapy for type 1 diabetes one step closer. The team is now investigating applications in animal models and testing storage methods such as cryopreservation to make the therapy widely available in the long term. They are also experimenting with alternative cell sources such as stem cell-derived islets and xeno-islets from pigs.
If follow-up research confirms its effectiveness, this technology could revolutionise the treatment of diabetes, with the possibility of a future without daily insulin injections.
Innovations for the treatment of diabetes
Two years ago, researchers at MIT developed an implantable device the size of a 50-cent coin that contains hormone-producing islet cells and generates oxygen through electrolysis. Encapsulating the cells prevented rejection. In a test in mice, the implanted islet cells were found to keep blood sugar levels stable for a month.
Last year, research showed that the artificial pancreas developed by Robin Koops at the University of Twente significantly improves blood sugar regulation in more than 75 people with type 1 diabetes. The smartphone-like device continuously measures glucose levels and automatically doses insulin and glucagon. Users remain within target values for an average of six hours longer per day, without the need for patients to intervene themselves.
