Contrast-enhanced ultrasound with sub-micron sized contrast agents detects insulitis in mouse models of type1 diabetes

David G. Ramirez, Eric Abenojar, Christopher Hernandez, David S. Lorberbaum, Lucine A. Papazian, Samantha Passman, Vinh Pham, Agata A. Exner () and Richard K. P. Benninger ()
Additional contact information
David G. Ramirez: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Eric Abenojar: Case Western Reserve University
Christopher Hernandez: Case Western Reserve University
David S. Lorberbaum: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Lucine A. Papazian: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Samantha Passman: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Vinh Pham: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Agata A. Exner: Case Western Reserve University
Richard K. P. Benninger: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract In type1 diabetes (T1D) autoreactive T-cells infiltrate the islets of Langerhans, depleting insulin-secreting β-cells (insulitis). Insulitis arises during an asymptomatic phase, prior to clinical diagnosis of T1D. Methods to diagnose insulitis and β-cell mass changes during this asymptomatic phase are limited, precluding early therapeutic intervention. During T1D the islet microvasculature increases permeability, allowing nanoparticles to access the microenvironment. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) uses shell-stabilized gas bubbles to provide acoustic backscatter in vasculature. Here, we report that sub-micron sized ‘nanobubble’ ultrasound contrast agents can be used to measure increased islet microvasculature permeability and indicate asymptomatic T1D. Through CEUS and histological analysis, pre-clinical models of T1D show accumulation of nanobubbles specifically within pancreatic islets, correlating with insulitis. Importantly, accumulation is detected early in disease progression and decreases with successful therapeutic intervention. Thus, sub-micron sized nanobubble ultrasound contrast agents provide a predicative marker for disease progression and therapeutic reversal early in asymptomatic T1D.

Date: 2020
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15957-8 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15957-8

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15957-8

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().