title: Imaging of pancreatic islet cells.
abstract: At present, the onset and progress of diabetes, and the efficacy of potential treatments, can only be assessed through indirect means, i.e. blood glucose, insulin, or C-peptide measurements. The development of non-invasive and reliable methods for (1) quantification of pancreatic beta islet cell mass in vivo, (2) determining endogenous islet function and survival, and (3) visualizing the biodistribution, survival, and function of transplanted exogenous islets are critical to further advance both basic science research and islet cell therapy in diabetes. Islet cell imaging using magnetic resonance, bioluminescence, positron emission tomography, or single photon emission computed tomography may provide us with a direct means to interrogate islet cell distribution, survival, and function. Current state-of-the-art strategies for beta-cell imaging are discussed and reviewed here in context of their clinical relevance.
authors: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Division of MR Research, Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2195, USA.
authors: Dian R
authors: DR
authors: Arifin
authors: Jeff W M
authors: JW
authors: Bulte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon