Precision medicine approaches in type 1 diabetes

Towards Precision Medicine in Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong disease where the body cannot produce enough of the hormone insulin, which is needed to keep blood sugar at healthy levels. People with T1D must take insulin every day to survive. We still do not fully understand why some people develop T1D, but research suggests it is caused by a mix of inherited genes and environmental factors.

In T1D, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the cells that make insulin in the pancreas. Until now, scientists have believed that the disease starts in these insulin-producing cells. Our project challenges this idea. We have found signs that, for some people, the disease may begin in another part of the pancreas—the part that makes digestive enzymes. We have also discovered that mutations in a specific gene called CEL, which produces a protein that helps break down fats, are much more common in people with T1D than in those without the disease.

In this project, we will study large collections of health and genetic data from people with and without diabetes to understand how CEL gene changes increase the risk of T1D. We will also work to develop better tools for early diagnosis and personalized treatment.

Our goal is to improve understanding of how T1D starts and to open the door to better care for people living with this disease.