Thymus and type 1 diabetes: An update

[en] Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease resulting from the selective autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet ß cells. The absence and/or breakdown of immune selftolerance to islet ß cells is now recognized as the essential cause for the development of the diabetogenic autoimmune response. For a long time, a failure in peripheral tolerogenic mechanisms was regarded as the main source of an inappropriate immune process directed against insulin-secreting ß cells. While defective peripheral self-tolerance still deserves to be further investigated, the demonstration that all members of the insulin gene family are transcribed in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) of different species under the control of the AutoImmune REgulator (AIRE) gene/protein has highlighted the importance of central self-tolerance to insulin-secreting islet b cells. Moreover, there is now evidence that a primary or acquired failure in thymus-dependent central self-tolerance to ß cells plays a primary role in T1D pathogenesis. This novel knowledge is currently translated into the development of innovative tolerogenic/regulatory approaches designed to reprogram the specific immune self-tolerance to islet ß cells.

Disciplines :

Endocrinology, metabolism & nutrition
Immunology & infectious disease

Author, co-author :

Geenen, Vincent ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'immunologie

Language :

English

Title :

Thymus and type 1 diabetes: An update

Publication date :

2012

Journal title :

Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice

ISSN :

0168-8227

eISSN :

1872-8227

Publisher :

Elsevier Scientific, Limerick, Ireland

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.diabres.2012.05.023

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
DGTRE - Région wallonne. Direction générale des Technologies, de la Recherche et de l'Énergie [BE]
UE - Union Européenne [BE]

Available on ORBi :

since 13 June 2012

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