Immune studies on human tissues in Type 1 diabetes - V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Immune studies on human tissues in Type 1 diabetes
IRAS ID
120247
Contact name
Mark Peakman
Contact email
Research summary
Type 1 diabetes affects some 100,000 people in the UK. Currently, half of all cases are diagnosed in childhood and the incidence is increasing, particularly in children under 5 years old. In this condition, the white blood cells of the immune system and in particular the T lymphocites mistakenly destroy the insulin-producing beta-cells of the pancreas. Thus Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease. While insulin injections can keep affected individuals alive, exact reproduction of physiological control of blood sugar levels is elusive. As a consequence of chronic hyperglycaemia, diabetes-related complications arise, including damage to small and large blood vessels leading to blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, and premature heart attacks and strokes.
Since 1999, King’s College London has pioneered the identification of the molecular fragments (peptides) recognised by T lymphocytes which attack the beta-cells in Type 1 diabetes. At the same time we have developed powerful tools for detecting the presence and function of these lymphocytes, including tetramer and ELISPOT technologies.
Clearly the important place to be looking at immune cells and understanding their function is in the pancreas, around the islets of Langerhans where the beta-cells reside, and in the related lymph nodes, where the immune response is active.
A major push in the direction of studying relevant pancreatic tissues amongst several research groups has taken place in recent years. This has given rise to several disease-based tissue resources that are now available to outside investigators. In addition, tissues from healthy subjects are available for comparative study from the same sources.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
13/NS/0099
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion