Imaging the Pancreatic Beta Cell, 4th Workshop - April 6-7, 2009 Imaging the Pancreatic Beta Cell, 4th Workshop - April 6-7, 2009
Home Registration hotel Agenda abstracts contact  
Imaging the Pancreatic Beta Cell, 4th Workshop - April 6-7, 2009 Imaging the Pancreatic Beta Cell, 4th Workshop - April 6-7, 2009

DRAFT AGENDA

Monday, April 6, 2009

Welcome

Session I Imaging Beta Cell Mass

Keynote Address
Speakers chosen from abstracts

Molecular imaging approaches for tissue mass are dependent on having molecular targets that are very specific for the beta cell, as well as agents that bind with appropriate kinetics, and imaging agents that provide the sensitivity needed for visualizing cells that make up only one or two percent of the pancreas. Finally, the imaging approaches must be quantitative. In addition to targeted imaging agents that may someday be suitable for the clinic, genetic approaches using animals have proved very informative and may be necessary for validation of molecular imaging techniques. This session will include presentations on topics such as:

  1. Molecular imaging approaches such as PET, SPECT and others used to visualize beta cell mass in vivo
  2. Progress in discovery of beta cell-specific molecular targets
  3. Novel imaging agent development
  4. Focus on specific aspects of molecular imaging agents for the beta cell-kinetics, binding properties, specificity, etc.
  5. Focus on quantification of imaging data for beta cell mass in animals and people
  6. Lessons learned or progress stemming from other imaging studies, such as neuroimaging agents developed for the brain

Session II Pancreatic Vasculature, Architecture, and Neuroregulation

Keynote Address
Speakers chosen from abstracts

Molecular imaging most often targets a molecule on the surface of a cell, but other approaches take advantage of one of many physical or chemical phenomenon. In addition, interpretation of imaging data often requires considerable knowledge of the target. This session will concentrate on imaging other important phenomena, including:

  1. Pancreas and islet vasculature
  2. Islet angiogenesis
  3. Endocrine pancreas and islet architecture, and islet cell organization
  4. Islet Innervation
  5. Neurotransmitters, and neuroregulation of islet cells and their function

Session III Islet Function

Keynote Address
Speakers chosen from abstracts

Imaging technologies can provide biomarkers of function or metabolism in vivo and in vitro. These include the use of special imaging agents as well as genetic approaches. This session will include topics such as:

  1. Imaging calcium and other ion metabolism in the islet in vivo and in vitro
  2. Imaging markers of nutrient-sensing and insulin release
  3. Imaging markers of apoptosis
  4. Imaging markers of development, islet expansion, regeneration, etc.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Session IV Imaging of Islet Transplantation and Its Outcome

Keynote Address
Speakers chosen from abstracts

Since islet transplantation emerged as a clinical tool to achieve insulin independence in Type 1 diabetes patients, the need to non-invasively follow the fate of transplanted islets grew dramatically in the past decade. This session will concentrate on various topics dealing with imaging of islet transplantation and its outcome including but not limited to:

  1. Longitudinal imaging of transplanted islets using various clinical imaging modalities
  2. Evaluating fate of islets transplanted at investigational/alternative sites (non-liver/kidney)
  3. Imaging as a method to determine islet fate after islet preservation (encapsulation, gene transfer, etc.)
  4. Imaging of immune rejection following transplantation
  5. Imaging of the formation of islet vascularization following transplantation (Note: this will be different from imaging of damaged islet vasculatire in Type 1 and Type 2)
  6. Imaging of islet transplantation as a method to assess the effectiveness of therapeutics preventing graft rejection (Note: this could include BLI as the imaging modality)
  7. Unresolved problems with transplanted islets: what is the best way to label pancreatic islets considering its complex structure and the fact that the label has to be retained for a long period of time without any side effects

Session V Imaging of Islet Inflammation

Keynote Address
Speakers chosen from abstracts

Inflammation is a hallmark in diabetes development and occurs long before clinical symptoms emerge. If there were a clinical way to monitor this event non-invasively, patients would benefit from preventive intervention and possible reversal of the disease.
This session will focus on the following topics:

  1. Identification of suitable targets on diabetogenic T cells
  2. In vivo imaging methods to assess immune cell activation
  3. In vivo methods to visualize accumulation of diabetogenic immune cells in the pancreas
  4. In vivo imaging methods to assess vascular dysfunction due to inflammation in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
  5. In vivo imaging methods to assess the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic intervention (anti-CD3 antibody, immunosuppressants and adjuvant therapy, etc.)
  6. In vivo assessment of beta-cell death (could be in Beta-cell imaging session as well)

Special Topic Talks and Panel Discussion
Industry Perspective
European Funding Opportunities
Regulatory Issues

Panel Discussion with representatives from the FDA, industry, NIH program, NIH review staff, and the European Commission
Imaging the Pancreatic Beta Cell, 4th Workshop - April 6-7, 2009
JDRF DHHS NIH NIDDK NIBIB NIA NIAID European Commission's 7th Research Framework Programme