Glucose Driven Changes in Beta Cell Identity Are Important for Function and Possibly Autoimmune Vulnerability during the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

Gordon C Weir; Susan Bonner-Weir

doi:10.3389/fgene.2017.00002

Glucose Driven Changes in Beta Cell Identity Are Important for Function and Possibly Autoimmune Vulnerability during the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

Front Genet. 2017 Jan 24:8:2. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00002. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Gordon C Weir¹, Susan Bonner-Weir¹

Affiliation

¹ Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

This commentary explores the hypothesis that when autoimmunity leads to a fall of beta cell mass during the progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D), rising glucose levels cause major changes in beta cell identity. This then leads to profound changes in secretory function and less well-understood changes in beta cell susceptibility to autoimmune destruction, which may influence of rate of progression of beta cell killing.

Keywords: autoimmunity; beta-cell biology; beta-cell function; beta-cell identity; type 1 diabetes.

Abstract

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