Immune responses spread from one protein to another in type 1 diabetesDecember 04, 2006Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by the immune system inappropriately attacking the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Although many of the proteins attacked by the immune system during T1D have been identified, it has not been determined whether immune responses to the individual proteins develop independently or whether a response to just one protein then spreads to other proteins. But now, in a study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from St. Vincent's Institute, Australia, have shown that in a mouse model of T1D the immune system first attacks a single protein, known as proinsulin, and then expands its attack to other proteins. Using mice that develop a disease very similar to T1D (NOD mice), Thomas Kay and colleagues showed that NOD mice that were unable to mount an immune response to proinsulin also had no immune cells that recognized a second protein IGRP and did not develop diabetes. By contrast, NOD mice that were unable to mount an immune response to IGRP had immune cells that recognize proinsulin and developed diabetes. This study demonstrates that diabetes in NOD mice is triggered by an immune response to a single protein that then spreads to other proteins. This study therefore has important implications for the development of therapeutics designed to make individuals with T1D no longer mount an immune response to a particular protein. In an accompanying commentary, Lucienne Chatenoud and Sylvaine You from the Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, France, discuss how it is important to determine the molecular and cellular events that underlie this spreading of the immune response so that the information can be translated to therapeutics for T1D and perhaps other autoimmune diseases. Journal of Clinical Investigation |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Immune Response Current Events and Immune Response News Articles Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people. Thoughtful words help couples stay fighting fit Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system. Researchers mobilizing global resources to test new treatments for severe H1N1 infection An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. People with less education could be more susceptible to the flu People who did not earn a high school diploma could be more likely to get H1N1 and the vaccine might be less effective in them compared to those who earned a diploma, new research shows. Scientists successfully reprogram blood cells Researchers have transplanted genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells into mice so that their developing red blood cells produce a critical lysosomal enzyme -preventing or reducing organ and central nervous system damage from the often-fatal genetic disorder Hurler's syndrome. UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage. Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. New Notre Dame study provides insights into the molecular basis of tumor cell behavior A new study by a team of researchers led by Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, sheds light on the molecular basis by which tumor cells modulate their surroundings to favor cancer progression. New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body's immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases. More Immune Response Current Events and Immune Response News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||