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Do viral infections protect from or enhance type 1 diabetes and how can we tell the difference?

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 8, pages 193–198 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Virus infections have been implicated in both initiation of and protection from autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this review we intend to reflect on recent evidence how viruses might on the one hand be involved in the pathogenesis of T1D and on the other hand induce a state of protection from autoimmune-mediated damage. It is important to acknowledge that human individuals encounter more than just one virus infection in their lifetime. Therefore, it is important to integrate more than just one possible environmental triggering factor for autoimmune diseases to occur.

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Acknowledgements

UC is supported by grants of the German Research Foundation. MGvH is supported by a scholar award of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a Program Project Grant of the National Institute of Health to the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.

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  1. Pharmazentrum Frankfurt/ZAFES, Klinikum der Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Urs Christen

  2. La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Matthias G von Herrath

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Correspondence to Urs Christen.

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Christen, U., von Herrath, M. Do viral infections protect from or enhance type 1 diabetes and how can we tell the difference?. Cell Mol Immunol 8, 193–198 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.71

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