The environment and the origins of islet autoimmunity and Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes involves the specific destruction of the pancreatic islet β-cells, eventually resulting in a complete dependency of exogenous insulin. The clinical onset of diabetes is preceded by the appearance of autoantibodies against β-cell antigens. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region is the single most important genetic determinant of Type 1 diabetes susceptibility, yet variability in t
