Apportioning Blame: Autoreactive CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes

• Published in: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis Vol. 65; no. 4; pp. 275 - 284
• Main Authors: Varela-Calvino, Rubén, Calviño-Sampedro, Cristina, Gómez-Touriño, Iria, Cordero, Oscar J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Animals; Autoantigens - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - immunology; HLA Antigens - genetics; Humans; Immunology; Immunomodulation; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin-Secreting Cells - immunology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Polymorphism, Genetic; Review; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T lymphocytes; Autoantigens; Regulatory T cells; Type 1 diabetes; CD8
• ISSN: 0004-069X; 1661-4917
• DOI: 10.1007/s00005-016-0452-4

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most studied archetypal organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Although many clinical, epidemiological, and pathological characteristics have been described, there are still important issues which need to be resolved as these will have a major impact on the development of future antigen-specific immunotherapies. An important question relates to T lymphocytes in the development of the disease, in particular their role in the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. Since the discovery that certain class II histocompatibility complex molecules (HLA) are linked to the development of T1D, much research has focused on CD4 + helper T lymphocytes; however, recent studies highlight class I HLA molecules as an independent risk factor; hence, research into the role played by CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes has gained momentum. In this review, we summarize recent studies clarifying the role played by both sets of autoreactive T lymphocytes in T1D, discuss the targets recognized by these cells and their phenotype in T1D patients. Finally, we will examine the possible generation of regulatory CD8 + T lymphocytes upon different immuno-intervention strategies.