Beta cell physiology, type 1 diabetes, in vitro and vivo models of beta cell function, molecular biology.

Type 1 diabetes, which has a high occurrence in Denmark, and in Scandinavia in general. Although insulin treatment is life-saving for type 1 diabetes patients, it is not a cure. The patients must be treated lifelong with daily injections, and both economical and personal expenses are high. Further, transplantation or immuno-suppressive treatments have no lasting effect or unacceptable side effects.

We therefore aim for the prevention of the disease and investigate the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. Through the use of cellular and and animal models, we explore basic mechanisms for beta cell damage and for translation to human disease, we use human data from registers, patient trials and inventories. 

Our most recent research involves the role of gluten in the development of the disease. A gluten-free diet is almost curative in rodents, even after disease manifestation, while in humans, it delays the development of the disease. Before such treatment can be applied to humans, the mechanisms responsible for the effect must me clarified. We therefore put much effort into dissecting in vivo changes related to gluten-free diet, including immune system-, intestinal- and pancreatic adaptations.  

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