A special MRI peers into the chemistry of hearts and brains in diabetes
NCT ID NCT07820722
First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
People with type 2 diabetes often have high lactate levels, which researchers link to heart failure and thinking problems. This early study uses a carbon-13 MRI contrast agent called hyperpolarized pyruvate to watch how the heart and brain process pyruvate, lactate, and bicarbonate. Researchers scan 32 adults with type 2 diabetes before and after treatment with semaglutide to see whether the scans can detect metabolic changes. The contrast agent is experimental and not approved for general use.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- hyperpolarized carbon-13 pyruvate, an experimental MRI contrast agent
- What this could lead to
- If the imaging works, doctors could one day use it to see how diabetes changes heart and brain chemistry and to judge whether treatments such as semaglutide are helping.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small imaging study with 32 participants. It tests whether the scans produce useful pictures, not whether any treatment works, and the contrast agent is not approved for general use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
About 32 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult participants of all ethnic groups/race categories (≥ 18 years of age) * Blood lactate ≥ 2 mmol/L ≤ 5 mmol/L * Blood pressure target \< 130/80 * No history of macrovascular or microvascular disease * For participants in Groups 1 and 2: Prescribed a semaglutide dose of 0.5 mg S/C weekly * For participants in Groups 3 and 4: HbA1c between 7-9% on evidence-based medications as per the Diabetes Canada guidelines, but not GLP-1RA semaglutide * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * History of macrovascular or microvascular disease * Automatic implantable cardiac-defibrillators (AICD) or pacemaker, either at time of study or required within 3 months of the study * Participants on anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, immunosuppressants and/or antiarrhythmics * Any clinically significant or unstable medical condition that might limit their ability to complete the study * Any malignancy not considered cured, except basal cell carcinoma of the skin * Body mass index greater than 40.0 * Claustrophobia and/or inability to undergo MRI without sedation * Contraindications to MRI as indicated on the standard MRI safety screening questionnaire * Participant declines or is unable to
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Diabete type 2 are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Fat Tissue's chemical signals: a new target for diabetes?
- Can pole walking boost heart fitness in diabetic patients?
- Can transplanted cells restore insulin production in type 2 diabetes?
- Could a common diabetes drug weaken or protect aging muscles?
- Gamifying exercise: could a phone app outperform traditional programs for obesity and diabetes?
- Can your DNA predict how you respond to a diabetes drug?