How Diabetes Attacks Immune System Revealed

Type 1 Diabates Glutamate decarboxylase IA-2 Zinc transporter-8 Michael Christie Emily Burns

By Nens Mitchell , Parent Herald Apr 25, 06:28 am

After two decades of searching for answers on the mechanics of diabetes 1, a recent study finally found answers on how it attacks a person's immune system. The fifth target of the disease has been revealed.

The study published by Diabetes Journals said that this breakthrough in research could help in treating and addressing the disease. It revealed that the final target of the disease is the tetraspanin-7, the fifth molecule which will make detecting Type 1 diabetes easier.

Earlier targets were identified as insulin, Glutamate decarboxylase, IA-2 and Zinc transporter-8, as per BBC. It explained that in this type of diabetes, the immune system destroys the beta cells which produce insulin which keeps sugar levels in the blood on a normal level.

Lead researcher Dr. Michael Christie told BBC that they are finally armed with the last element to know the mechanics of such disease. "With this new discovery, we have now finished identifying what the immune system is targeting - we have the complete picture," she added.

He also mentioned in a Dhaka Tribune report that his team of researchers remained focus on discovering vital information about diabetes which can help patients fighting the disease. "Once the immune system decides it wants to get rid of something it's very hard to stop, so diabetes has proved to be a difficult disease to prevent," Christie explained.

The researcher said that they now have the five major targets of the disease which makes it easier for them to block these targets without compromising the health of a patient. He noted that a treatment for type 1 diabetes can soon be formulated using their recent discovery.

Diabetes UK's Dr Emily Burns told BBC that the new study is a great help for medical specialists to prevent type 1 diabetes since they can already understand how immune responses develop and lead to the disease. "We hope that the findings here will be used to improve the identification of those at risk of type 1 diabetes and, in the long term, inform the crucial development of therapies."