title: The role of Toll-like receptors 3 and 9 in the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.
abstract: Innate immunity is mediated, at least in part, through a number of receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are activated by different microbial stimuli. Adaptive immunity, including autoimmunity, follows the innate response in a more specific manner. To investigate the roles of TLR3 and TLR9 in the development of type 1 diabetes, we generated NOD mice that are deficient in TLR3 and 9, respectively. There was no obvious difference in the incidence of spontaneous diabetes between TLR3-deficient mice and TLR3 heterozygous mice. However, TLR9-deficient mice were markedly protected from the disease compared to TLR9 heterozygous mice. Our results suggest that different TLRs play a varying role in autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Bristol University, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: F Susan
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Changyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alexopoulou
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flavell
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C519703:TLR3 protein, mouse; C495370:Tlr9 protein, mouse; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9