All About T- Cells and Diabetes

T-cells have something to do with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, that is, when the immune system mistakenly see pancreas as an enemy and attacks it.

T-cells going wrong cause type 1diabetes. T-cells are the white blood cells that protect the body from several illnesses under normal conditions. They receive the signal to destroy cells in the islet - that part of the pancreas that produces insulin. About 90 percent of the T-cells of the body are actually destroyed because some of them are capable of attacking the body’s healthy tissues; and when these tissues are not destroyed, they then ignore the body’s signal that says “Don’t do this.”

T- cells are white blood cells and are significant members of the immune system which control infections. A healthy body has Th17 cells, a strong defense against viruses and bacteria by providing a guide to strongly attack infected targets within our bodies. There is a type of a T-cell called a regulatory T-cell that can normally prevent against autoimmune attack; which should ideally prevent diabetes. However, researchers found that it can also be changed into a destructive cell.
Scientists found that type 1 diabetes in young ones called juvenile diabetes is indeed caused by autoimmune attack. Studies are still trying to find out in intensive researches the actual mechanisms that are involved in this autoimmune attack.

Bad T-Cells

Type 1 diabetes is actually caused by a mistaken identity, when the immune system mistakes the pancreas as an enemy and attacks it. The poor victim – the pancreas, cannot produce insulin anymore as a result; and the body suffers high blood glucose levels.

The key here is the T-cells – the front forces of the immune system, which when gone wrong, cause type 1 diabetes or make everything goes wayward. T-cells have very specific functions. If the body’s infection is flu, they attack against the flu. Some are for other invaders and infections. However, when they go wrong, they attack the body’s very useful organs and that can cause serious disease such as diabetes.