Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, eventually destroying the body's ability to produce insulin. The causes of the immune attack are unknown. T1D has been linked to environmental factors, including viruses and nutrition, as well as antibiotic use. These factors can cause a disturbance to the bacteria in the gut (called the microbiome) that has been linked to the autoimmune responses that may lead to T1D. A recent clinical trial in the Netherlands found that transferring stool from volunteers into people with T1D impacted the progression of their disease. To assess whether changes in the microbiome can slow progression of T1D and to understand the mechanism by which this may occur, human fecal microbiome transplants (FMTs) will be performed in a mouse model of T1D. We aim to understand the mechanism by which changes in intestinal bacteria may influence autoimmunity and whether fecal transplant may be a T1D therapy.