Project summary
New treatments called immunotherapies target the immune system attack that causes type 1 diabetes. Professor Bhattacharya is testing a new approach to stopping this by preventing attacking immune cells from reaching the pancreas in the first place. This could help delay or prevent type 1 diabetes - and could improve the success of new treatments designed to replace lost insulin-making cells.
Background to research
In type 1 diabetes, immune cells called T cells move into the pancreas and mistakenly destroy insulin-producing beta cells. Treatments, called immunotherapies, can weaken this immune attack, but they work throughout the body, not just inside the pancreas. This can make them less effective and lead to side effects.
Previous studies have shown that movement of immune T cells into the pancreas is controlled by proteins called chemokines.
Professor Bhattacharya, with funding from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, has developed protein fragments, known as peptides, inspired by tick saliva. These peptides can block multiple chemokines at once, mimicking the way ticks feed on blood without being detected by their victim’s immune system.
Professor Bhattacharya’s research has shown that these peptides can stop immune cells moving towards the pancreas. And other scientists have discovered short sequences of proteins that can precisely deliver drugs into tissues. They’ve called these ‘ZIP-codes’.
Prof Bhattacharya now wants to harness these ‘ZIP-codes’ to design a new and safer treatment that stops immune cells from entering and attacking the pancreas.
Research aims
First, the team will make the ‘ZIP-codes’, designing them to recognise a specific protein called islet amyloid polypeptide that’s only found in beta cells. They will also make other ZIP-codes designed to recognise a wider group of proteins, called amyloids, so they can compare which approach works best.
Prof Bhattacharya will combine the ZIP-codes with the tick-inspired peptides he’s developed and test in the lab if they can block T cells moving into human cells.
These experiments will let them know which ZIP-code and peptide combination works best at delivering the treatment into the pancreas.
Potential benefit to people with diabetes
By designing a treatment precisely targeted to the pancreas, this research takes a new approach to protecting beta cells, tackling the immune attack where it happens.
With continued research, this could give us a way to delay or even prevent type 1 diabetes from ever developing.
It could also form part of a cure for people living with type 1 diabetes by helping to protect transplants of new beta cells, which could restore the body’s own insulin production.
