title: T-lymphocyte recognition of beta cells in type 1 diabetes: clinical perspectives.
abstract: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the activation of lymphocytes against pancreatic β cells. Landmarks in the history of T1D were the description of insulitis and of islet cell autoantibodies, and report an association between T1D and a limited number of HLA alleles. Another step was the study of T-lymphocytes, now known to be central to the disease process of T1D whether in mice or men. In humans, T-lymphocytes, and especially CD8⁺ T-cells, are predominant in insulitis. The characterization of antigenic fragments--peptides--recognized by T-cells paves the way towards new assays for predicting T1D and its prevention using antigen- or peptide-specific immunotherapy, while avoiding side effects that may counteract the limited efficacy of immunosuppression and immunomodulation in preserving β-cells from autoimmune destruction in recent-onset T1D patients. The current need for new preclinical models for testing strategies of antigen-specific immune tolerance is also highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Cochin-Hôtel Dieu, AP-HP, Paris, France; Inserm UMR 1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; Université Paris-Descartes, Faculté de Médecine René-Descartes, Paris, France. Electronic address: christian.boitard@htd.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boitard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011384:Proinsulin
keywords: Autoantibodies; Autoanticorps; Autoimmunity; Autoimmunité; Diabète de type 1; Immunotherapy; Immunothérapie; Lymphocytes; Type 1 diabetes