Monitoring type 2 diabetes progression using ultrasound localization microscopy

Monitoring type 2 diabetes progression using ultrasound localization microscopy

A research paper by scientists from the Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine presented the application of ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) to monitor the progression of type 2 diabetes and assess the effectiveness of anti-cytokine immunotherapy.

The research paper, published March 10, 2025 in the journalCyborg and bionic systemsused ULM imaging to study the pancreatic microvasculature in vivo and provide insights into changes in β-cell mass and islet function over the course of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is considered an autoimmune inflammatory disease in which prolonged inflammation leads to reorganization of the pancreatic islet microvasculature, which is closely linked to β-cell dysfunction. The pancreas is highly vascularized, and changes in islet blood flow are critical to understanding diabetes progression and β-cell functionality. Current imaging technologies such as functional MRI and Doppler ultrasound have limitations in resolution and sensitivity to microvascular details, making it difficult to monitor early-stage changes in islet function and β-cell mass. "As a novel imaging method. Ulm offers high resolution and enables real-time in vivo monitoring of pancreatic microvascular morphology and hemodynamics." Author Tao Zhang, PhD at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, "overcomes the limitations of traditional imaging methods and provides a new opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes."

The study used a rat model of type 2 diabetes induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection to investigate the application of ULM to monitor pancreatic microvascular changes and β-cell function. ULM imaging combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound enabled high-resolution visualization of microvascular morphology and hemodynamics. Researchers tracked microbubble trajectories and quantified vascular parameters such as tortuosity, fractal dimension and vascular density to assess disease progression. In addition, anti-cytokine immunotherapy (Xoma052) was evaluated for the potential to improve β-cell function by restoring the microvascular environment, thereby demonstrating significant improvements in vascular structure and function. The study concluded that ULM is a promising non-invasive tool for monitoring type 2 diabetes progression and evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions such as anti-cytokine treatment.

The study shows that ULM is an effective non-invasive tool for monitoring the progression of type 2 diabetes and evaluating the effectiveness of anti-cytokine immunotherapy. ULM was able to provide high-resolution imaging of pancreatic microvascular morphology and hemodynamics, which were closely associated with β-cell loss and islet dysfunction. Treatment with Xoma052, an anti-cytokine immunotherapy, significantly improved microvascular structure and function, indicating its potential to restore β-cell function. However, there are some limitations. The resolution of ULM may be limited by the frame rate of the ultrasound system, potentially affecting the accuracy of blood flow measurements. In addition, motion artifacts and signal overlap with tissue can affect image reconstruction and quantification. “In addition, the animal model used may not fully represent human diabetes, which could affect the generalizability of the results.” Tao Zhang said.

The paper's authors include Tao Zhang, Jipeng Yan, Xinhuan Zhou, Bihan Wu, Chao Zhang, Mengxing Tang and Pintong Huang.

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32201138, 82371968, 82030048, 82230069), the main research and development program of Zhejiang Province (2019c03077), EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account Funding and MRC Confidence in the Concept Scheme, the EPSRC Impact Account Funding and Confidence in the concept of the Imperial College, the EPSRC -Impact -Ratrate (EP/t0090), the EPSRC -RAR (EP/T00 IMPLECT IN IMPERIAL SCHMEMEN, AM IMPERIAL COLLEGE, DES EPSRC -RARS (EP/T00 IMPLEG) received.

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