The authors of the study examined diabetes-onset mice and found the mice susceptible to diabetes were more likely to have more harmful and less beneficial bacteria than those resistant to the disease. Additionally, the research findings showed the harmful bacteria prompted an immune response, which destroyed insulin-producing cells.
“We were able to establish a clear relationship between bacteria, the body’s immune reaction and the development of Type 1 diabetes,” said senior author and microbiologist Deanna Gibson, PhD. “This is likely to have significant implications for treatment of the disease. The next steps are to narrow in and identify which bacteria induce or perhaps protect against Type 1 diabetes.”
Ultimately, if researchers can identify the harmful bacteria, it’s more likely they will be able to produce antibiotics more specific than those currently in existence.
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