Pancreatic islet

The pancreatic islets, or islets of Langerhans (from the name of their discoverer), are formed from endocrine cells which produce hormones: such as insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide.

The islets are found in the pancreas but only make up 1 to 2% of the total mass of the organ.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is is considered to treat patients suffering from type 1 diabetes, who produce too little insulin.