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Previous Volume 359:1956-1958 October 30, 2008 Number 18 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease in which pathologic, autoreactive T cells of the immune system attack the insulin-secreting pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Cytotoxic T cells, which bear the CD8 protein on their membrane, kill islets, thereby leading to lifelong dependence on insulin for affected patients. Over time, poorly controlled blood glucose levels inevitably result in early illness and early death.¹ Invasive blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration, and medical complications of treatment can also themselves cause illness, despite decreased glycemia.

Immunosuppressive agents, one of the mainstays of approved treatments for transplantation, have been explored as therapy for patients . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

This article (10.1056/NEJMe0807425) was published at www.nejm.org on October 8, 2008.

From the Immunobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• (2008). Another Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes. JWatch Pediatrics 2008: 2-2 [Full Text]