Figure 5.

Bivariate metaregression models with time of culture (in days) and type of co-culture system as predictors for viability (A) and ISI (B) outcomes. The area of the circles reflects the weight of each individual study. (A) Effect size of indirect, direct and mixed co-culture systems on viability overtime. *P-values are related to comparison between islets co-cultured with MSCs vs. islet cultured alone. The effect observed for mixed co-culture system was similar to that obtained for the indirect co-culture systems (P = 0.42), and both effects were different to that obtained for the direct contact system (both P < 0.001). (B) Effect size of indirect and direct co-culture systems on the ISI outcome overtime.*P-values are related to the comparison between co-culture condition vs. islet alone condition. The effect observed for the direct and indirect co-culture systems were different (P = 0.02).