Abstract
Abstract Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the selective destruction of insulin secreting beta cells present in the islets of Langerhans. A large body of evidence has implicated T cells as the predominant mediators of beta cell destruction leading to T1D development. The goal of our research is to develop a system for isolation and characterization of diabetogenic CD4+ T cells from the peripheral blood of early onset T1D patients. We were able to obtain a blood sample from a treatment-naïve T1D patient at the time of diagnosis. Through a novel multiplex-nest PCR protocol, we cloned corresponding alpha and beta TCR chains from individual islet antigen-specific T cells and tested them in vitro for antigenic specificity and HLA restriction. Utilizing a humanized TCR/HLA retrogenic mouse system, we are testing human islet antigen reactive TCRs for their in vivo functionality and diabetogenic potential.
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