The role of dendritic cells in Salmonella typhimurium mediated diabetes prevention in NOD mice

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In Type 1 diabetes the immune system of an individual selectively destroys the cells in the body that secrete insulin, a hormone which is essential for maintaining glucose levels in the body. Although the development of this disease is governed by genetic factors it is clear that environmental factors additionally play a big role in determining whether Type 1 diabetes actually develops in a genetically prone individual. Among the environmental factors that might impact on diabetes development is infection. We, and others, have shown that some worm or bacterial infections actually prevent diabetes onset in a mouse model of Type 1 diabetes. By identifying the mechanisms by which infections prevent diabetes onset in this model this may lead to the development of novel therapies to prevent this autoimmune disease developing in humans.