A high-throughput assay for the measurement of Ca(2+) oscillations and insulin release from uniformly sized mouse β-cell (MIN6) spheroids.

A scalable 3D β-cell spheroid platform enables high-throughput measurement of Ca(2+) oscillations and insulin release, revealing responses to glucose and modulators.

• Why it matters: Current 2D cultures fail to replicate the 3D cell interactions of pancreatic islets, limiting drug screening accuracy for diabetes therapies. Existing 3D models are costly and complex, hindering widespread use.
• What they did: Using micropatterned PEG hydrogels and MIN6 cells, 19 uniform spheroids per well were generated in a 96-well plate, allowing real-time imaging of up to 1824 spheroids' Ca(2+) signals in response to stimuli.
• The result: The platform demonstrated glucose-dependent Ca(2+) oscillations linked to insulin secretion, and showed that TRPM3 modulation by pregnenolone sulfate enhances these oscillations, supporting its use in drug discovery.