Viruses and immune responses linked to islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in children
Official title: Virome and Immune Responses associated with IA and Type 1 Diabetes
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11501041 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at viruses and immune cells in blood, nasal swabs, plasma, and stool from young children to understand how prolonged enterovirus infections may lead to early autoimmune changes that cause type 1 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | March 5, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $524,242 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DK138372-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11501041 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young children (generally under age 6) with documented or suspected prolonged enterovirus infections or early islet autoantibodies, particularly those already enrolled in the TEDDY study.
✕Less likely to help
Children without evidence of enterovirus exposure, without islet autoantibodies, or older individuals are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze stored blood cells, nasal swabs, plasma, and stool from 450 children in the TEDDY cohort, comparing those who developed islet autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes by age 6 with matched controls. They will combine PCR and ampliseq virome testing of stool and nasal samples with detailed single-cell multi-omic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to map viral exposure and immune-cell changes over time. The team will identify children with confirmed prolonged enterovirus infections and study how the immune system differs in those who go on to develop autoantibodies or diabetes. These methods aim to reveal mechanisms by which prolonged enterovirus infections might trigger autoimmune attacks on insulin-producing cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify viral triggers and immune signatures that help predict, prevent, or target early type 1 diabetes in children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior TEDDY findings linked prolonged enterovirus B infections to islet autoimmunity and related virome and immune-profiling studies have suggested associations, but detailed causal mechanisms remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lloyd, Richard E — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Lloyd, Richard E
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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.