Intensification of Diabetes in B7-1 Transgenic Mice

Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop spontaneous insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. This disease closely mimics that found in humans, in that it is controlled by genes mapping in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), involves the invasion of the islets of Langerhans and the destruction of pancreatic β cells by T lymphocytes, and results in glucosuria and ketoacidosis. The T lymphocytes consist of a mixture of CD4 and CD8 T cells, and adoptive transfer studies have confirmed the role of these two cell types in β-cell destruction (1).