A Bacteria in the Gut may Predict Type 1 Diabetes

Ningwen Tai, Associate Research ScientistYale Diabetes Center

Heart and blood vessel diseaseNerve damageKidney damageEye damageFoot damagePregnancy problem

Diabetes complications

Type 1 diabetes (T1D)

Healthy

Insulin

Glucose

Diabetic

Immune cells

Pancreas

islet

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5 million Americans are expected to have type 1 diabetes by 2050, including nearly 600,000 youth.

Prevalence of type 1 diabetes

The percentage of newly diagnosed cases of T1D rose 21.2% from 2001-2009

American Diabetes Association 2016

Less than 50% of identical twins develop type 1 diabetes

One twin develops diabetes while the other does not.

HealthyDiabetic

Different gut bacteria composition between diabetic patients and healthy controls

Gut bacteria

NOD - mouse model of human T1D

GUTBACTERIA

TYPE 1 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetesAutoimmune

response

Environment(bacteria,

virus)

Genetics(Genes)

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to T1D development

Less Fusobacteria

Mimic peptide

Mimic peptide

Immune cells

Preliminary study: mouse

Lower diabetes incidence

Higher diabetes incidence

More Fusobacteria

Research plans -

1. Collection of human oral and fecal samples from diabetic, high-risk and healthy individuals

2. Measurement of Fusobacteria in the collected samples by two different methods - sequencing and qPCR

3. Data analysis and evaluation

Research goal

To prove the increase of Fusobacteria is associated with human diabetes development and provide a better knowledge for early disease intervention.

1. Prevention: to find specific treatment for eliminating diabetes inducing bacteria in order to better prevent from diabetes development in high-risk individuals

2. Cure: to modify diabetes inducing bacteria and replace with “good” bacteria to treat diabetic patients

Future applications