The immune response to islets in experimental diabetes and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Over the past year, a number of important observations have been made in the nonobese diabetic mouse and in clinical insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus concerning the autoimmune response to islets. Assays have advanced to the point where individuals at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus can be readily identified prior to the onset of symptoms and a number of peptides of proteins expressed by the beta cell have been shown to protect nonobese diabetic mice from developing diabetes. The contributions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to beta cell destruction are beginning to be understood and this information will probably be of value in the design of intervention strategies for use in human subjects.