Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas carry a death receptor that, when activated, causes the cells to self-destruct. This cellular self-destruct button may in turn contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes, according to a new study in mice and human tissues.
A central feature of type 1 diabetes is loss of the pancreatic beta cells that make insulin. Researchers led by Paolo Fiorina, MD, PhD, of Boston Children's Hospital and Francesca D'Addio, MD, of the University of Milan now identify a harmful cellular pathway that causes these cells to die.
In addition to driving new cases of diabetes, the virus may be directly damaging the pancreas in ways that could lead to chronic inflammation and even cancer.