The optimization of large-scale density gradient isolation of human islets.

The use of the COBE 2991 cell processor (COBE Laboratories, Colorado) for large-scale islet purification using discontinuous density gradients has been widely adopted. It minimizes many of the problems such as wall effects, normally encountered during centrifugation, and avoids the vortexing at interfaces that occurs during acceleration and deceleration by allowing the gradient to be formed and the islet-containing interface to be collected while continuing to spin. We have produced cross-sectional profiles of the 2991 bag during spinning which allow the area of interfaces in such step gradients to be calculated. This allows the volumes of the gradient media layers loaded on the machine to be adjusted in order to maximize the area of the gradient interfaces. However, even using the maximal areas possible (144.5 cm2), clogging of tissue at such interfaces limits the volume of digest which can be separated on one gradient to 15 ml. We have shown that a linear continuous density gradient can be produced within the 2991 bag, that allows as much as 40 ml of digest to be successfully purified. Such a system combines the intrinsic advantages of the 2991 with those of continuous density gradients and provides the optimal method for density-dependent islet purification.