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Mast Cells and the Pancreas in Human Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Matilde Masini1, Mara Suleiman2, Michela Novelli1
1Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 55-Scuola Medica, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
Abstract:
Mast cells are highly differentiated, widely distributed cells of the innate immune system, that are currently considered as key regulators of both innate and adaptive immunity. Mast cells play a key role in health and survival mechanisms, especially as sentinel cells that can stimulate protective immune responses. On the other hand, it has been shown that mast cells are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases, and recently a possible pathogenetic role of mast cells in diabetes has been proposed. In this review we summarize the evidence on the increased presence of mast cells in the pancreas of subjects with type 1 diabetes, which is due to the autoimmune destruction of insulin secreting beta cells, and discuss the differences with type 2 diabetes, the other major form of diabetes. In addition, we describe some of the pathophysiological mechanisms through which mast cells might exert their actions, which could be targeted to potentially protect the beta cells in autoimmune diabetes.
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