GLP-1–Receptor Scanning for Imaging of Human Beta Cells Transplanted in Muscle

Abstract

To the Editor: Cell therapy is emerging as a realistic treatment for type 1 diabetes, on the basis of the prolonged success of intraportal islet transplantation in selected patients.1 Key improvements include the development of alternative implantation sites and new tools for in vivo detection of transplanted cells. In the absence of reliable beta-cell markers, previous clinical attempts to visualize transplanted islets have relied on magnetic resonance imaging2 and positron-emission tomography.3 However, these techniques necessitate the in vitro manipulation of islets and are limited by the short half-life of available labeling agents. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)–receptor scanning has been successfully . . .