Non-invasive in vivo imaging of pancreatic β-cell function and survival - a perspective

Abstract

A major problem in medical research is to translate in vitro observations into the living organism. In this perspective, we discuss ongoing efforts to non-invasively image pancreatic islets/β-cells by techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, and present an experimental platform, which allows in vivo imaging of pancreatic β-cell mass and function longitudinally and at the single-cell level. Following transplantation of pancreatic islets into the anterior chamber of the eye of mice and rats, these islets are studied by functional microscopic imaging. This imaging platform can be utilized to address fundamental aspects of pancreatic islet cell biology in vivo in health and disease. These include the dynamics of pancreatic islet vascularization, islet cell innervation, signal-transduction, change in functional β-cell mass and immune responses. Moreover, we discuss the feasibility of studying human islet cell physiology and pathology in vivo as well as the potential of using the anterior chamber of the eye as a site for therapeutic transplantation in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Figure 1

Schematic illustration of the in vivo imaging platform to study pancreatic islet/β-cell physiology and pathology. Following their isolation, pancreatic islets of Langerhans are transplanted into the anterior chamber of the eye, where they engraft on the iris, become vascularized and innervated. As the cornea represents a natural body-window, this transplantation site allows non-invasive, repetitive in vivo imaging of the islet with high resolution, i.e. at the single-cell level, and to study various aspects of islet/β-cell function and survival under normal as well as diabetic conditions.