News Releases & Research Results Elucidation of the mechanism through which parasitic worms suppress autoimmune diseases: Shedding new light on the prevention and treatment of type 1 diabetes

The results of collaborative research conducted by Visiting Research Scientist Chikako Shimokawa and Laboratory Head Hiroshi Ohno of the Laboratory for Intestinal Ecosystem, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, and Director Hajime Hisaeda of the Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Disease, and others.

• The research group discovered the mechanism underlying the induction of CD8⁺ regulatory T cells (CD8Treg)*1 involved in the suppression of type 1 diabetes (T1D).
  * A type of white blood cell reported in 1970 whose functions are yet to be fully explained
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• Specifically, through experiments using mice, the research group showed that infection with an intestinal nematode suppresses the onset of T1D through the following mechanism: trehalose secretion by the parasitic worm and the consequent growth of a particular intestinal bacteria resulting in the induction of CD8Treg, which consequently suppresses the destruction of pancreatic cells and the onset of T1D.
• These results should be applied to the development of new preventive and therapeutic methods for T1D.

This research project was conducted with the support of the Advanced Research and Development Programs for Medical Innovation (AMED-CREST) by AMED.

The results of research were published in Nature Communications, an online scientific journal, on April 22.

Shimokawa C., et al. CD8+ regulatory T cells play a critical role in prevention of autoimmune-mediated diabetes Nature Communications
DOI：10.1038/s41467-020-15857-x