My research is focused on Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its potential link to the onset of T1D. T1D is an autoimmune disorder with a high prevalence and increasing incidence worldwide. T1D is characterized by a loss of insulin secreting β-cells, which places afflicted individuals at risk of death from complications and decreasing their quality of life. This makes T1D a relevant disease for therapeutic and preventive research. There is currently no known cause for the onset of T1D, but we hypothesize onset may be linked to changes in the composition and spatial arrangement of two common bacteria phyla, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, present in the gut microbiome of individuals with a predisposition for developing T1D. We believe a shift toward a higher concentration of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes leads to a decrease in the mucin layer surrounding intestinal villi allowing the bacteria to enter the crypts and posses a higher probability of entering the intestinal tissue and initiating an inflammatory response mediated by the immune system ultimately leading to autoimmunity. We will be using a non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model to test our hypothesis that onset of T1D in genetically susceptible individuals is initiated by changes in the gut microbiome.
Author: Alyssa Ehni, Biochemistry
Advisors: Michael Kennedy, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Advisor: Moriah LaMantia, Chemistry and Biochemistry
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