Lidia S. Szczepaniak1, Ruchi Mathur1, Edward Szczepaniak1, Nicole Tyer1, Michael D. Nelson1, Ida Chen1, Ronald G. Victor1, Ildiko Lingvay2
1Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States; 2UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
The exact role of pancreatic fat in the development of human impaired glucose tolerance remains unclear. Basic research using rodent models of type 2 diabetes has identified pancreatic steatosis and lipotoxicity as a leading cause of beta cell dysfunction. We sought to translate these mechanistic studies into the clinical population. Our data suggest that pancreatic steatosis may identify a subset of asymptomatic individuals who are at high risk for development of type 2 diabetes. 1H-MRS and measurement of pancreatic TG content may constitute a new therapeutic target. Our data also highlight a potential need for ethnically appropriate preclinical biomarkers.