How diabetes disrupts the immune system

Western Australian scientists have led new research into how type 1 diabetes disrupts the body’s immune system — a finding that could help focus the search for a cure for the condition.

The study revealed that, unlike many other genetic diseases, the genes that caused type 1 diabetes did so by regulating the expression levels of other genes, rather than by making changes in proteins. The results have been published in the Journal of Immunology.

“This is not what most people would have expected and is a new insight into the mechanisms causing type 1 diabetes,” said study leader Professor Grant Morahan, from WA’s Centre for Diabetes Research.

“Our finding suggests the cure for this condition will most likely lie in treatments that regulate the whole of the immune response, not just particular parts of it.”

Partially funded by Diabetes Research WA, the study required international collaboration and sophisticated computer science. Professor Morahan said the work has been well worth it, shedding light not only on diabetes but also other genetic diseases.

“This is a medical research game changer in that it alters our understanding not only of how type 1 diabetes impacts the body but likely also other complex genetic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” he said.