OXFORD, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perspectum Diagnostics has announced successful Innovate UK grant award to develop technology that will improve the diagnosis and monitoring of type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Innovate UK’s grant will see Perspectum stratify patients with T2D using quantitative MRI assessment of associated organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen and aorta. Combining these biomarkers into a medical device will support clinical management based on a single, cost-effective MRI scan. Building on Perspectum’s existing in-house capabilities, this project will provide disease stratification, improve patient compliance, reduce NHS costs, and enable precision treatment. This multi-organ project was preceded by Perspectum’s MRI-based research using the UK Biobank, which highlighted the significant burden of unrecognised liver disease, such as NAFLD, which is three times more prevalent in T2D.
Dr Gaya Thanablasingham, specialist in Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, believes that “this project has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of organ dysfunction and T2D severity. Hopefully, this will enable us to improve patient stratification, which will accelerate diagnosis of diabetes-related complications and support the development of personalised treatments.”
Consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes and General Medicine at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Sarah Ali, added: “T2D is dramatically increasing worldwide and can cause damage to multiple organs in time if not treated effectively. This innovative research study will allow us to visualise these organs early on in T2D, which will assist pathways to stratify treatment in the management of the disease.”
Diabetes is a global pandemic, of increasing prevalence. Affecting multiple organs, it can currently only be treated through complex clinical management - and diagnosis is difficult. At present, care for diabetic patients is based on routine biochemical tests that independently monitor glycaemic control, cardiovascular risk, chronic kidney disease and liver health. In order to tailor effective treatment, diagnosis must account for the presence or absence of multi-organ complications.
Professor Dan Cuthbertson, (University of Liverpool) a Consultant Diabeteologist at University Hospital Aintree, who is leading the Liverpool component of the research project, commented on Perspectum’s award: “Screening for liver and cardiovascular complications is still sub-optimal and this multi-organ assessment in diagnosis and treatment of T2D allows us to better understand the prevalence and progression of disease as well as the impact of different treatments. It hopefully will lead to better treatment stratification."
