Grant: Team Grant: Human Immunology Initiative: Research Teams - CIHR-JDRF Pool

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by the immune system mistakenly killing the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone, insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot regulate blood sugar and this can be life threatening. Insulin can be taken by injection (by syringe or insulin pump), but this cannot replace the natural ability of the pancreas to make insulin only when it is needed, and at the exact level needed. Hence, people with T1D face a lifetime of fluctuating blood sugar and run the risk of life-threatening highs and lows. A true cure for T1D requires the immune system to be re-set so it no longer attacks the pancreas, combined with regeneration of the insulin-producing cells. In this project we aim to assemble a unique cross-Canada team of experts in immune cell biology and diabetes, in order to study specific aspects of how the immune system kills insulin-producing cells (called beta cells) to cause T1D. First, we will collect blood samples from individuals with T1D, another autoimmune disease, or healthy controls. We will then use these blood samples to study how different aspects of the immune system change over time in T1D vs non-T1D subjects, to learn how immune changes correlate with beta cell changes. Results will also be analyzed to determine whether any observed changes are different in males versus females. Second, we will study how three promising types of immune cell therapies might be applied in T1D. We will study how these immune cell therapies might affect beta cell function/regeneration and develop new ways to apply such therapies as a treatment for T1D. Overall, this research will explore several never-before-investigated aspects of T1D biology and take existing therapeutic concepts a step closer to use in the clinic. We will also create synergy with other on-going international studies in T1D and further strengthen our research capacity in this domain.