Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition accounting for about 5% of all diabetes cases, is often diagnosed in childhood, and remains without a cure. Addressing its root causes is a major challenge in public health.
Tatiana used the NOD mouse model to test two novel approaches:
🔹 Intervention therapy:
A combination of low-dose anti-CD3 and engineered Lactococcus lactis producing insulin and IL-10 reversed diabetes in 59% of newly diagnosed mice. Success was linked to preserved beta-cell mass and local expansion of regulatory T cells (Foxp3+).
🔹 Prevention therapy:
Long-term oral vitamin D supplementation (from weaning to adulthood) significantly reduced diabetes onset, with no harmful calcium-related side effects. Shorter or early-life supplementation had no effect.
These findings offer promising new avenues for type 1 diabetes prevention and treatment by targeting the disease’s immune origins. The work sets the stage for future clinical translation.
More information can be found via this link.