One step more against diabetes

Madrid, 2011-September the definition of a computational model of the endocrine pancreas and the immune response can provide simulation tools that support the knowledge of the etiology of this pathology. performing experiments in a computer are predictable results a priori subsequently leading to experimentation in-vitro and in-vivo. In this way, you can speed up the search for possible therapeutic approaches.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an attack by the immune system of the patient against the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin (beta cells). This autoimmune response causes the disappearance of beta cells and the consequent absence of insulin. Are still unknown causes which make the immune system to recognize these own cells as agents to destroy, but considered that they could relate with environmental agents (pollution, hygiene or viral infections) or genetic factors, there are genes related to immune system that predispose to type 1 diabetes and others covering their appearb.

schematic representation of interactions between the immune system and the beta cells of the pancreas are grouped in the islets of Langerhans.

between the errors ” committed by the immune system to attack cells beta are: improper activation of the innate immune system in the pancreas that results in swelling; the presence of lymphocytes with ability to recognize the beta cells as foreign agents; the activation of these cells through the presentation of antigens of the cébeta cells; the failure of the mechanisms of protection from reactions of the immune system against the body itself (called peripheral tolerance mechanisms).

As a result of the investigación1 made by the Group of Bioengineering and telemedicine of the ETSI telecommunication of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, in collaboration with the National Center for biotechnology, and after analyzing these bugs ”, has developed a multi-tier model, based on agents of the endocrine pancreas and its relationship with the immune system simulating the different stages in which It fails the immune system recognizing the beta cells as strange. The model allows to simulate processes in populations of cells growth beta, cell proliferation, apoptosis, necrosis, phagocytosis and activation of cells of the immune system, etc.

Data from scientific literature and empirical data from experiments with mice have been used to design and fit the model. The results obtained by experiments earlier, noting an good emulation of real processes have been compared. This model can be used to perform experiments in-silico on processes related to the beta cells and the innate immune system, and is a step for the development of more comprehensive models of immune response in type 1 diabetes.

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1 Martinez Espinosa IV, Gomez Aguilera EJ, Hernando Perez, Villares R, Mellado Garcia JM. Agent-Based Model of the Endocrine Pancreas and Interaction with Innate Immune System. ADVANCES IN BIOINFORMATICS. Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing (74): 157-164. 2010