title: Targeting Homeostatic T Cell Proliferation to Control Beta-Cell Autoimmunity.
abstract: Immunomodulation of the autoreactive T cell response is considered a major strategy to control beta-cell autoimmunity, both in the natural history of type 1 diabetes and in islet transplantation, which can be affected by autoimmunity recurrence. So far, these strategies have had modest results, prompting efforts to define novel cellular and molecular targets to control autoreactive T cell expansion and activation. Novel findings highlighted the important role of the homeostatic cytokine interleukin-7 in inducing proliferation and differentiation of autoreactive T cell clones that causes beta-cell autoimmunity. In this review, we discuss recent evidences and novel findings on the role of IL-7 mediated homeostatic T cell proliferation in the process of beta-cell destruction and evidences of how targeting IL-7 and its receptor could be an innovative and effective strategy to control beta-cell autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Transplant Immunology Unit, Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vignali
authors.affiliation: Transplant Immunology Unit, Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy. paolo.monti@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015851:Interleukin-7
keywords: Autoreactive T cells; Homeostatic proliferation; Interleukin-7; Islet transplantation; Type 1 diabetes