Immunoregulatory mechanisms triggered by viral infections protect from type 1 diabetes in mice.

ABSTRACT: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that is caused by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. Viral infections induce immune responses that can damage beta cells and promote T1D or on the other hand prevent the development of the disease. However, the opposing roles of viral infections in T1D are not understood mechanistically. We report here that viruses that do not inflict damage on beta cells provided protection from T1D by triggering immunoregulatory mechanisms. Infection of prediabetic NOD mice with Coxsackie virus B3 or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) delayed diabetes onset and reduced disease incidence. Delayed T1D onset was due to transient upregulation of programmed cell death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) on lymphoid cells, which prevented the expansion of diab

SUBMITTER: Filippi CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2689128 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature