Abstracto

Imaging of pancreatic b-cell mass by PET

Gary W Cline

Success in the noninvasive and quantitative imaging of pancreatic islet b-cell mass (BCM) has been made possible by the inherent sensitivity of PET and the development of radiotracers for b-cell enriched peptide targets. This article briefly discusses the methodological considerations that can impact upon the accuracy of measuring BCM, and approaches to optimize BCM measurements in the face of these potential limitations. The current status of two peptide receptors that show promise for imaging BCM will be discussed: glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and vesicular monoamine transporter type 2.