Hjem

Type 1 diabetes,sometimes called juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes, is anautoimmune condition in which the β cells in the pancreas that produceinsulin are destroyed by the body's immune system. The disease affectsmillions of individuals, but for more than 100 years, diet and insulininjections were the only effective treatment. Recent discoveries,however, have led to new therapies and finally the promise of a cure.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this new collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicinediscusses exciting research that has increased our understanding of themechanisms underlying development of type 1 diabetes. The contributorsdiscuss immunological, genetic and environmental contributions todisease susceptibility, the part β cells play, and how interactions withthe immune system drive pathogenesis. They examine the failure ofimmune tolerance, the role of T cells, specific features ofautoimmunity, and the importance of neoantigens in the disease, as wellas the important question of whether it is β cells or the immune systemthat becomes dysfunctional first.

In addition, the volumereviews the incredible progress in development of treatments for type 1diabetes, including novel therapies that rebalance the immune system andpancreatic islet-cell transplantation. The long journey to approval ofteplizumab to treat individuals at high risk is also covered. The newbook will therefore be of interest to all endocrinologists andimmunologists seeking to learn more about this disease but also thoseworking in drug development.