News Journal Science Transl Med
September 15, 2016

How Inflammation Might Drive Diabetes

Dr. Jane Buckner discusses recent findings, published in Science Translational Medicine that suggest the signaling molecule IL-6 may be involved in inflammation that could drive the progression of type 1 diabetes. Scientists at BRI found that when they exposed T cells to IL-6 the T cells changed and became more likely to to into healthy tissue. In type 1 diabetes, that tissue would be the pancreas. Therapeutics that block IL-6 are already used for other diseases and may provide an approach to stop the progression of type 1 diabetes. Read the full story in the September 15, 2016 issue of STAT Morning Rounds