In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The body needs insulin to process glucose for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin by syringe injection or other means to survive.

Physicians have no easy, direct way to find pancreatic inflammation, an early sign of type 1 diabetes. Biopsies are rarely performed because taking tissue samples from the pancreas is potentially risky.

Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center and Massachusetts General Hospital are using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology to spot this inflammation. Studying diabetic mice, they have injected iron particles into blood vessels. The iron travels to the pancreas and other organs. MRI can detect if the iron leaks from the vessels of the pancreas because of inflammation.

According to the scientists, their studies showed that the MRI technique could help in identification of people at immediate risk of type 1 diabetes, and could especially help in early prediction of response to treatment. People with type 1 diabetes are being recruited for clinical trials of the new technology.

The study was scheduled for publication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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