Traveling down the Long Road to Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Prevention

Type 1 diabetes mellitus, a chronic autoimmune disease that usually begins in childhood, affects more than 1.25 million Americans,(1) and its worldwide prevalence is increasing. Although insulin was discovered almost a century ago and the technologies for administering and monitoring insulin treatment have improved quality of life and reduced complications from the condition, the disease remains incurable. Accordingly, investigative efforts have centered on prevention, aiming to either delay or prevent disease onset. However, that requires the elucidation of the relevant pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to the pancreatic beta-cell destruction thought to be the root cause of type 1 diabetes. Early . . .