Advancements in deuterium metabolic imaging for studying glucose homeostasis

Abstract

The main objective of this thesis is to develop tools that enable the application of Deuterium Metabolic Imaging (DMI) in the abdomen, where diseases such as diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) materialize by means of disruptions in metabolism. Through the development of MR hardware and optimized acquisition methods, this work aims to enable detailed and accurate mapping of glucose uptake and metabolism in the liver, kidneys and skeletal muscle. Additionally, the potential of DMI to non-invasively detect hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is explored. Collectively, these advancements are intended to provide new insights into the metabolic alterations associated with diabetes and other metabolic disorders, laying the foundation for future clinical applications.