Thymus problems that let insulin‑attacking immune cells survive
Thymic selection abnormalities in Type 1 Diabetes
Researchers are using personalized humanized mice made from patients' stem cells to learn why immune cells that attack insulin persist in people with Type 1 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11087506 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project makes personalized human immune mice from a person's blood stem cells to recreate their T cell development in the thymus. Scientists compare mice generated from people with Type 1 diabetes and healthy donors to find differences in how the thymus deletes or diverts insulin‑reactive T cells into protective regulatory cells. They introduce specific insulin‑reactive T cell receptors to track whether those cells are removed or become regulatory cells and measure how genetic risk variants affect these processes. The goal is to identify thymic selection defects that allow autoreactive T cells to escape and to point toward ways to restore normal immune tolerance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Type 1 diabetes who are willing to provide blood or stem cell samples so their immune system can be recreated in personalized humanized mice.
Not a fit: This project does not offer immediate treatment, so people seeking direct clinical benefit now or those unwilling/unable to donate samples are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal why insulin‑reactive immune cells survive and suggest targets to prevent or treat Type 1 diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous mouse studies and early humanized‑mouse work have suggested thymic selection defects in autoimmune diabetes, but using T cell receptor transgenesis in personalized humanized models is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sykes, Megan — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Sykes, Megan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.