PROLIFERATED PANCREATIC ENDOCRINE CELL PRODUCT AND PROCESS

Proliferated human fetal pancreatic cells comprising a mixture containing proliferated human fetal pancreatic islet progenitor cells, the proportion of pancreatic islet progenitor cells to exocrine and fibroblast cells being substantially greater than in fetal pancreas. The mixture can be in a culture medium, having pancreatic islet progenitor cells on or dispersed in a substrate matrix which can include collagen. It should be substantially free of fibroblast cells (preferably less than 10 percent), and can be in the form of droplets or other shapes suitable for implantation. These progenitor cells are prepared by culturing human fetal pancreatic cells containing pancreatic islet cells, pancreatic islet progenitor cells, exocrine cells, and fibroblast cells; separating the epithelial cells containing the islet progenitor cells from the fibroblasts by subculture; and proliferating the pancreatic islet progenitor cells through one or more subcultures until the relative proportion of the pancreatic islet progenitor cells to fibroblast and exocrine cells and the total number of pancreatic islet progenitor cells is substantially greater than in the original fetal pancreas.