Type I Diabetes

Type I diabetes is rapidly becoming one of the most studied autoimmune disorders. The existence of two spontaneous animal models, transgenic models which both create or suppress disease, coupled with the clinical importance of the illness with millions affected and thousands killed each year, has led to enormous efforts by an international groups of investigators to understand, treat and prevent type I diabetes. This timely new book presents a synthesis of the molecular and cellular immunology of type I diabetes by basic immunologists and physician investigators at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. At this center, T cell clones able to produce diabetes were discovered, the first antigen with which they react characterized, combinatorial, biochemical autoantibody screening for diabetes risk was recently published and multiple trials for the prevention of type I diabetes were carried out. This volume discusses the latest research in this rapidly developing field, including diagnostic strategies and therapies being developed to prevent this disease.