The sunshine hormone vitamin D and its association with type 1 diabetes

Extract: Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that affects both children and adults. Researchers discovered that in type 1 diabetic patients the beta-cells of the pancreas are destroyed by their own immune system, leading to a deficiency of insulin production that, if left untreated, is life threatening. Great help in research on the topic has come from animal models of the disease, especially the diabetes-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse which spontaneously develops type 1 diabetes. As is typical for most autoimmune diseases, type 1 diabetes results from a complex interaction between genetic, immunological, and environmental factors, although the exact etiology of type 1 diabetes remains unclear and until now no prevention or cure is available. Evidence linking vitamin D to type 1 diabetes is accumulating. A poor vitamin D status, caused by insufficient sunlight exposure or dietary shortage, is associated with a "sick" immune system and with an elevated risk of developing childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. Also, certain genetic variations in components of the vitamin D system such as the vitamin D receptor (VDR) account for an increased risk for type 1 diabetes.