Title:Hematopoietic Transplants for Disease Suppression and Cure in Type 1 Diabetes
Volume: 8
Issue: 4
Author(s): Nadir Askenasy
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Activation induced cell death, autoimmunity, Fas cross-linking, inflammation, regulatory T cells.
Abstract: Recent clinical studies have demonstrated the capacity of immunosuppressive therapy to delay progression of
inflammatory insulitis in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The procedure includes depletion of pathogenic cells by immunosuppressive
therapy and support of recovery by reinfusion of autologous hematopoietic progenitors. The short-term outcome of
these clinical transplants is similar to the predictions drawn from NOD mice: debulking of diabetogenic cells is ineffectively
achieved by immunosuppressive therapy, and resetting of immune homeostasis does not restrain autoimmunity.
Murine models indicate that allogeneic transplants are potentially curative, through restored mechanisms of negative regulation
that are effective in continuous and indefinite suppression of autoimmunity.
