ESPACE - Expression and Spatial analysis Pancreas Atlas Consortium Europe

Human Cell Atlas of the Pancreas

The human pancreas is a physiologically unique organ as it is both an exocrine and endocrine gland. Several human diseases associated with the pancreas, such as pancreatic andenocarcinoma or diabetes mellitus, demonstrate its physiological importance. Unfortunately, its high autolytic activity makes the pancreas a challenging tissue to study. In the context of the EU H2020 project, ESPACE, we teamed up with seven excellent researchers in Europe to create the first Human Cell Atlas of the Pancreas. The ESPACE partners will provide networking activities along four major lines: 1) procurement and harmonization 2) transcriptomics and epigenomics 3) spatial proteomics 4) data management. We will integrate molecular profiles from more than 1 million single cells together with tissue spatial proteomics allowing to address fundamental questions of cell state and phenotype in healthy adults, type 2 diabetes and during human foetal development.