Investigating MMP12⁺ Macrophages as Potential Modulators of Islet Vulnerability in Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that leads to the selective destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. Notably, MMP12-expressing macrophages appear predominantly in non-attacked islets. In line with their reported anti-inflammatory function in cancer, we hypothesize that MMP12⁺ macrophages may play a protective role in T1D. To test this, I use RNAscope to validate the scRNAseq findings in Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice, spatial transcriptomics to confirm their presence in human tissue, and am working to create a transgenic mouse model to manipulate the cells.
