Photodynamic diagnosis and therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

A method for treating therapeutically insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which comprises:

• administering to a mammal with the diabetes mellitus a sufficient amount of a photosensitizer for accumulating the photosensitizer in the macrophages having infiltrated the inflammatory sites of Langerhans islets in a pancreas of the mammal, the photosensitizer being capable of accumulating specifically in the macrophages having infiltrated the inflammatory sites of Langerhans islets in the pancreas and being capable of generating, upon absorption of a light ray of a specific wavelength, active oxygen for damaging or destroying the macrophages;
• and
• irradiating the inflammatory sites of Langerhans islets with the light ray of the specific wavelength at an irradiance and for a time sufficient to damage or destroy the macrophages having infiltrated the Langerhans islets.

A method for treating therapeutically insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which comprises:

• administering to a mammal with the diabetes mellitus a sufficient amount of an X-ray absorbing substance for accumulating the X-ray absorbing substance in the macrophages having infiltrated the inflammatory sites of Langerhans islets in a pancreas of the mammal, the X-ray absorbing substance being capable of accumulating specifically in the macrophages having infiltrated the inflammatory sites of Langerhans islets in the pancreas and being activated upon absorption of an X-ray of a specific wavelength;
• and
• irradiating the pancreas with the X-ray of the specific wavelength by irradiation of a beam of X-rays at an intensity and for a time sufficient to damage or destroy the macrophages having infiltrated the Langerhans islets.