The Type 1 Diabetes PhysioLab- Platform is a large-scale mathematical model of disease pathogenesis based on non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. The platform was developed with input from an independent scientific team of leading type 1 diabetes experts. The research support group of the American Diabetes Association funded the work of the software's development to provide a new scientific tool for enhancing the speed and effectiveness of type 1 diabetes research.

More than 400,000 children worldwide suffer from type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease that can lead to severe complications, such as blindness, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, coma or even death.

The platform, developed over two years, simulates autoimmune processes and subsequent destruction of pancreatic beta cells from birth through frank diabetes onset (hyperglycemia). The destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is the underlying cause of type 1 diabetes.

Specifically, Dr. von Herrath's team employed the model to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of nasal insulin therapy, using the B: 9-23 peptide. "The experimental aim was to evaluate the impact of dose, frequency of administration and age at treatment on key molecular mechanisms and optimal therapeutic outcome," he said.

Using parameters input by the scientific team, the model accurately predicted that less frequent doses of nasal insulin, started at an early disease stage, would protect more effectively against beta cell destruction than higher frequency doses in NOD mice.

Dr. von Herrath added that the positive results add credence to the idea of creating computer models for analyzing therapeutic interventions in human disease. "These results support the development and application of humanized platforms for the design of clinical trials," he said.

Source: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology