Immune and Pancreatic β Cell Interactions in Type 1 Diabetes

The autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic islet beta cells is due to a targeted lymphocyte attack. Different T cell subsets communicate with each other and with the insulin-producing beta cells in this process, with evidence not only of damage to the tissue cells but also of lymphocyte regulation. Here we explore the various components of the immune response as well as the cellular interactions that are involved in causing or reducing immune damage to the beta cells. We consider these in the light of the possibility that understanding them may help us identify therapeutic targets to reduce the damage and destruction leading to type 1 diabetes.