Scientists obtain more knowledge of the mechanism of type 1 diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the body. Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Joslin Diabetes Center immunology department researcher Stephen Kissler said that scientists clearly understand this process of autoimmune attack, but they don't understand what trigger this attack and how to stop this process.

Dozens of small mutations significantly increase the risk of disease, researchers are careful to explore the contribution of each gene. Now Kissler Laboratory has discovered a way in which a gene called RGS1 may help promote their own immune attack.

During the attack, the immune cells are called T cells infiltrate the pancreas and destroy insulin-producing β cells. Another immune cells called B cells to produce antibodies, and may also participate. In a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, RGS1 affect one type of T cell, called "T follicular helper cell", which is essential for B cells to produce antibodies, Dr. Kissler and his colleagues "genes and immunity" recently reported.

"In short, we found that the gene acts on the frequency of these T follicular helper cells, which is important for B cells, and the disease appears to be also very important", Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School Kissler said. The found particularly striking because clinical studies have found those patients with type 1 diabetes, the blood, the higher the number of these cells.

"Overall, T follicular helper cells for B cells is very important in patients with type 1 diabetes, the body of these T cells are more their disease seems to be very important, and why have the gene involved RGS1 the new interpretation, "Dr. Kissler concluded.

"We will continue to test a number of other genes to see whether there is a very potential modification of type 1 diabetes," he adds. "We understand more information of pieces. It is easier to find the best way to intervene in the disease. When we know more about other genes, this piece of information about RGS1 could become valuable information, because it may help us open this mystery."

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