Longitudinal PET/MRI assessment of the pancreas in individuals at risk for and with recent onset type 1 diabetes

PROJECT SUMMARY Over 1 million people have type 1 diabetes in the United States and greatly affects their quality of life. In vivo measurement of insulin vesicle functional capacity (IVFC) and beta cell mass (BCM) would allow tracking and monitoring of recent advances in therapies designed to preserve IVFC and BCM and/or monitor transplanted beta cells. Beta cell loss occurs in the endocrine pancreas resulting in loss of insulin secretion and subsequent onset of diabetes. Current clinical measurements of beta cell function (e.g., C-peptide release in response to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)) may underrepresent total IFVC or BCM due to variability in beta cell function in response to glucose. The aim of this study is to utilize PET and MR techniques to study insulin vesicle functional capacity, beta cell mass and pancreas volume in non-diabetic individuals, and stage 2 T1D with high and low PI:C ratio as they progress to stage 3 T1D. The opportunities afforded by this award would enable us to provide a comprehensive picture of multiple longitudinal measures of beta cell function and mass in vivo and increase our knowledge of the relationship of proposed imaging markers to greater pancreas architecture and function.