Quantitative β-Cell Mass Imaging Redefines Disease Staging and Glycemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes
We undertook this study to address the persistent need for noninvasive assessment of β-cell mass in type 1 diabetes. We aimed to determine whether 18F-exendin positron emission tomography/computed tomography can reliably visualize residual β-cell mass and distinguish stages of disease. We found that pancreatic tracer uptake was consistently reduced in type 1 diabetes, differentiated insulin-dependent patients from control participants, and aligned with markers of β-cell function and glycemic status. Our findings suggest that 18F-exendin imaging may offer fundamental platform for disease staging, therapeutic monitoring, and individualized care.
Authors
- Kanae K. Miyake (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0793-9136)
- Kentaro Sakaki
- Daisuke Otani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8185-673X)
- Nobuya Inagaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8261-2593)
- Daisuke Yabe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-7687)
- Hiroyuki Fujimoto
- Yoichi Shimizu
- Takaaki Murakami
- Hayao Yoshida
- Yuji Nakamoto
Institutions
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Kitano Hospital (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Diabetes
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2337/db25-1127
- Primary Topic
- Diabetes and associated disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Suzuken Memorial Foundation
- Japan Foundation of Applied Enzymology
- Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Care
- Boehringer Ingelheim Japan
- Novo Nordisk
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
- Japan Diabetes Foundation
- Ono Pharmaceutical
- Eli Lilly Japan
- Novo Nordisk Pharma
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science