Targeting GLUT1 to Control Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetes

Autoimmunity, Type 1 Diabetes

Autoimmunity, Type 1 Diabetes, GLUT1, Humanized mice, Immunometabolism, T cells

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells contribute to the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. This study investigates whether targeting glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), a transporter involved in immune cell metabolism, may help modulate autoimmune responses associated with Type 1 Diabetes. The study uses previously collected and biobanked peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from individuals with Type 1 Diabetes. No additional visits, blood draws, or study-specific procedures will be performed on human participants.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Autoreactive T cells play a central role in this process and may persist over time within the memory T-cell compartment. Understanding the mechanisms that sustain autoreactive T-cell activation, survival, proliferation, and inflammatory function is therefore important for the development of more targeted immune-modulatory strategies. Activated T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to support their functional responses. In this context, glucose uptake and glycolytic metabolism are important components of T-cell activation. GLUT1 is a key glucose transporter involved in this metabolic adaptation and may contribute to the ability of autoreactive T cells to expand and maintain effector functions. This study will use previously collected and biobanked peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from individuals with Type 1 Diabetes. The PBMC samples will be retrieved in coded form, thawed, and infused into immunodeficient NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice to reconstitute a human immune system and generate humanized preclinical models. These models will be used to investigate the phenotype, activation state, metabolic profile, inflammatory function, and transcriptional features of human immune cells in relation to GLUT1 modulation. Experimental approaches include flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping, cytokine assessment, and transcriptomic analyses performed on human immune cells recovered from the humanized mice. The study is observational and retrospective with respect to human participants. All human biological material and associated data were collected before the start of this study and are stored in coded or pseudonymized form. The study does not involve prospective enrollment of human participants, administration of an investigational product to human participants, additional biological sampling, clinical visits, or other study-specific procedures involving human participants. The purpose of the study is to generate mechanistic and translational evidence on the role of GLUT1-dependent immune metabolism in Type 1 Diabetes-associated autoimmunity, using humanized preclinical models generated from biobanked PBMC samples. The study is intended to support the future development of targeted strategies aimed at modulating pathogenic autoreactive immune responses.

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