Beta cell research was plagued for many years by the lack of a good human cell line.

This changed with the creation of the EndoC-βH1 line. This is the only human cell line I'm aware of with good glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. It grows pretty slowly, but in a way that makes it more similar to primary beta cells.

See this post for further details:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Does_anyone_have_any_information_EndoC-bH1_human_cell

From the published details, it appears that EndoC-βH1 line is the current best choice (I have personally not used it and cannot vouch for it one way or another):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24667639

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X15300012#

As for fairly normal beta cell phenotype, in the context of an immortalized cell,that is a subjective and relative quality. ;)

Best...

I would definetely recommend the human EndoC-βH1 beta cell  line for such studies. I've been working with this cell line for a longer time now and, although they are a bit tricky in culture, they are the best immortalized human beta cells I have ever worked with. 

Please read our recent paper on it:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26028562

Hi Ewa, Tausif and Timothy

thank you very much for the replies - I will look into this cell line.

cheers markH

We haven't had much luck with the culture of the Endo's - although we might finally be getting there. There is also a second generation of this cell line to consider (EndoC-βH2) which readily proliferate in a non-beta cell phenotype, but can be easily differentiation to a beta-cell phenotype at which point their proliferative more or less stops. Anyone tried these?

I agree with the EndoC cell lines mentioned above. Good luck!

Dear Ewa, can you please elaborate on why this cell is "a bit tricky in culture"? I'm looking for a suitable beta cell for GSIS study.

Do not go for 1.1B4 cells. They are not beta cells.no responses to FFAs cytokines. EndoC won't survive with no FCS medium.

Ali,

There is no such thing as an immortalized cell which is truly equivalent to normal beta cell!

As long a given immortalized cell exhibits some aspects of beta cells under a given study, it can be useful mainly because of convenience. Isolating fresh islets of reliably high quality on a daily basis in sufficient quantities is not trivial. Hence, the compromise. 

Normal freshly isolated islets do not do too well in cell culture for extended period of time. Ultimately, whatever one learns from ex vivo experiments by using insulinoma cells or isolated islets, has to to be substantiated directly or indirectly in animals. 

Is there any normal Human primary pancreatic beta cells to study in culture condition?