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The Role of Hyaluronan and the Extracellular Matrix in Islet Inflammation and Immune Regulation

The Role of Hyaluronan and the Extracellular Matrix in Islet Inflammation and Immune Regulation CURRENT DIABETES REPORTS Bollyky, P. L., Bogdani, M., Bollyky, J. B., Hull, R. L., Wight, T. N. 2012; 12 (5): 471-480

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease that in most individuals results from autoimmune attack of a single tissue type, the pancreatic islet. A fundamental, unanswered question in T1D pathogenesis is how the islet tissue environment influences immune regulation. This crosstalk is likely to be communicated through the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we review what is known about the ECM in insulitis and examine how the tissue environment is synchronized with immune regulation. In particular, we focus on the role of hyaluronan (HA) and its interactions with Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells (Treg). We propose that HA is a "keystone molecule" in the inflammatory milieu and that HA, together with its associated binding proteins and receptors, is an appropriate point of entry for investigations into how ECM influences immune regulation in the islet.

View details for DOI 10.1007/s11892-012-0297-0

View details for Web of Science ID 000308286400004

View details for PubMedID 22810951