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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Isolating and Analyzing Cells of the Pancreas Mesenchyme by Flow Cytometry
Published on: January 28, 2017
Endocrine self and gut non-self intersect in the pancreatic lymph nodes
Shannon J Turley1, Je-Wook Lee, Nick Dutton-Swain
1Section on Immunology and Immunogenetics, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Abstract:
The autoimmune cascade that culminates in diabetes initiates within pancreatic lymph nodes (PLNs). Here, we show that developmentally controlled lymphogenesis establishes a preferential trafficking route from the gut to the PLN, where T cells can be activated by antigens drained from the peritoneum and the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, intestinal stress modifies the presentation of pancreatic self-antigens in PLNs. The convergence of endocrine and intestinal contents within PLNs has significant implications for type 1 diabetes and may help to explain the link between autoimmune pathogenesis and environmental provocation.
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