NOD Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes
This is a picture of the Type 1 Diabetes Research Group taken in the Fall of 2015.
This slide shows a section of the pancreas from a non-progressor mouse sacrificed after 34 weeks. The red staining is probing for insulin production by beta cells. The green staining is probing for glucagon production by alpha cells.
This graph shows how the blood glucose levels changed in a cohort of 12 mice over the course of 35 weeks. We repeatedly find that mice fall into "early", "late", and "non" progressor categories.
The goal of this project is to determine the role that gut microbes play in triggering T1D in genetically susceptible individuals. We are testing a hypothesis that a distinct population of gut microbes trigger the autoimmune cascade that leads to T1D progression. We are using the Non Obese Diabetic mouse model system for our studies. We are studying cohorts of 12 mice at a time. The blood glucose levels of the mice are measured weekly, and feces and urine samples are collected weekly. Microbial DNA is extracted from the feces and used for 16S rRNA sequencing to determine how the gut microbial populations change over time. The urine and fecal samples are use for metabolic profiling studies in an attempt to indirectly detect changing gut microbial populations over time. Histology and immunohistology studies are conducted to enable assessment of beta cell composition of the Islets.