Gut microbiome in type 1 diabetes: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease, which is characterized by the destruction of islet β cells in the pancreas triggered by genetic and environmental factors. In past decades, extensive familial and genome-wide association studies have revealed more than 50 risk loci in the genome. However, genetic susceptibility cannot explain the increased incidence of T1D worldwide, which is very likely attributed by the growing impact of environmental factors, especially gut microbiome. Recently, the role of gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of T1D has been uncovered by the increasing evidence from both human subjects and animal models, strongly indicating that gut microbiome might be a pivotal hub of T1D-triggering factors, especially environmental factors. In this review, we summarize the current aetiological and mechanism studies of gut microbiome in T1D. A better understanding of the role of gut microbiome in T1D may provide us with powerful prognostic and therapeutic tools in the near future.

Keywords: environmental factors; genetics; gut microbiome; immune system; type 1 diabetes.

Figure 1

The role of gut microbiome in type 1 diabetes. Multiple factors can influence gut microbiome, resulting in an increase in intestinal permeability, a decrease in gut microbiome diversity, and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Consequently, these changes may destroy islet β cells through molecular mimicry, excessive activation of innate immunity, and adaptive immunity