Cause of Type 1 Diabetes

I have a great interest in sport along with medicine, one of my favourite being running so last night I entered myself for the Bristol 10 kilometre race. I’m running on behalf of diabetes UK and hopeful to raise over £250. I decided on this charity because my younger sister has Diabetes Mellitus Type 1, this has encouraged a great interest into the research for a cure, or prevention against the Auto immune disease.

The structure of a pancreas consists of Alpha Cells, Beta Cells, Delta Cells and (Capillaries). These cells are all found in areas within the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. Alpha cells make and release glucagon, which raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The primary function of a beta cell is to store and release insulin. Insulin is a hormone that brings about effects which reduce blood glucose concentration. Beta cells can respond quickly to spikes in blood glucose concentrations by secreting some of its stored insulin while simultaneously producing more. Delta cells make somatisation, a hormone that inhibits the release of numerous hormones in the body.

Diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where your body produces antibodies to attack your own tissue; in this case the antibodies are produced against the pancreas. It involves the destruction of Beta Cells within the Pancreas; therefore the pancreas can no longer secrete insulin, or store insulin. There is not a greatly known understanding what causes the destruction of Beta Cells, a major factor is believed to be Inflammation. This inflammation is caused by lipids which are secreted by protein based enzymes (12 LO) within the Cells. Recent scientific investigations have identified the removal of this enzyme in mice, can prevent Type 1 Diabetes. Different research is investigating the possibility to differentiate Stem Cells into Beta Cells to replace the destroyed pancreatic cells.

However Diabetes is known as a polygenic disease, which means there are many factors which contribute to its onset. This means it is difficult to find a cure of prevention, it is believed that there’s a genetic higher risk. The risk of a child developing type 1 diabetes is about 10% if the father has it, about 10% if a sibling has it, about 4% if the mother has type 1 diabetes and was aged 25 or younger when the child was born, and about 1% if the mother was over 25 years old when the child was born. In the UK, around 2.9 million people are affected by diabetes. There are also thought to be around 850,000 with undiagnosed diabetes.

The symptoms for type 1 diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination and weight loss. Weight loss is the main factor because with the beta cells being destroyed there is no secretion of glucose, therefore there is no glucose in the blood, and cells receive no glucose to make energy. This leads to the body breaking down its own fat supply to provide enough energy, leading to a huge loss of muscle. The glucose deficient blood can lead to a temporary condition where the blood becomes acidic, known as diabetic ketoacidosis which is the cause of dehydration.

The treatment for diabetes is daily injections of insulin, or there are other means such as an insulin pump. Left untreated, diabetes can cause many different health problems. Large amounts of glucose can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs. Even a mildly raised glucose level that does not cause any symptoms can have damaging effects in the long term.