PET/MRI pancreas imaging for people at risk for or recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Longitudinal PET/MRI assessment of the pancreas in individuals at risk for and with recent onset type 1 diabetes
This project will use PET and MRI scans to follow insulin-making cells and pancreas size over time in people at risk for or recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11302681 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get repeated PET and MRI scans of your pancreas and regular blood tests to measure insulin vesicle function, beta cell mass, and pancreas volume over time. The team will enroll people without diabetes and people in stage 2 type 1 diabetes with different proinsulin:C-peptide (PI:C) levels and follow them as some progress to clinical diabetes. Researchers will compare imaging markers to blood measures like C-peptide and PI:C ratio and to pancreas structure to see patterns before and after diagnosis. Visits will be scheduled over several years so the project can track how the pancreas changes over time in individuals.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people at increased risk for type 1 diabetes and those with recent or stage 2 type 1 diabetes who can undergo PET/MRI scans and blood testing.
Not a fit: People with long-standing type 1 diabetes, those not at risk, or anyone unable to have PET/MRI scans (for example, due to pregnancy, severe claustrophobia, or incompatible implants) are unlikely to get direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide earlier and more accurate ways to track beta cell health and to test treatments to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous pilot studies have tested PET or MRI markers of beta cells in humans but larger longitudinal work like this is still relatively new and unproven.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bini, Jason — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Bini, Jason
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.