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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Transplant. Jun 18, 2026; 16(2): 116413
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v16.i2.116413
Influence of islet purity on the proportion of smaller islets and graft outcomes in clinical transplantation
Praveen Kumar Ravi, Sipra Rout, Pravash R Mishra, Appakalai N Balamurugan
Praveen Kumar Ravi, Sipra Rout, Pravash R Mishra, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar 751019, Odisha, India
Appakalai N Balamurugan, Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute, Norton Children’s Research Institute, Norton Healthcare, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, United States
Co-corresponding authors: Praveen Kumar Ravi and Appakalai N Balamurugan.
Author contributions: Ravi PK and Balamurugan AN conceptualized and conducted the minireview; Both Balamurugan AN and Ravi PK contributed equally as co-corresponding authors; Ravi PK proposed the concept and Balamurugan AN provided the necessary background data from his laboratory to support it. Both Ravi PK and Balamurugan AN analyzed and interpreted the data, which is the key concept on which this manuscript is based. This collaboration between Ravi PK and Balamurugan AN are crucial for the publication of this manuscript. Mishra PR and Rout S supervised the findings and critically analyzed the study; Ravi PK and Rout S drafted the manuscript; Mishra PR and Balamurugan AN critically revised the manuscript; and all authors discussed the results and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Praveen Kumar Ravi, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Sijua, Patrapada, Bhubaneswar 751019, Odisha, India. praveenkumar1059@gmail.com
Received: November 12, 2025
Revised: December 20, 2025
Accepted: February 11, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 199 Days and 2.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: The interaction between islet purity and size distribution influences the results of islet transplantation in addition to islet volume. Highly purified preparation prevents the adverse reaction, but it also decreases the small islets proportion and supportive progenitor cells from the preparation. Reduction in small islets leading to overestimation of the islet transplanted, reduced graft viability and function. Smaller islets demonstrate superior survival, revascularization, and insulin secretion, since it survives better with diffusion when compared with larger islets. Hence, moderate rather than maximal purification may preserve small islets, paracrine support, and regenerative potential, improving long-term engraftment and insulin independence.

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