Sreeni Labs Private Limited
LRH-1 agonism favours an immune-islet dialogue which protects against diabetes mellitus
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | (2018) 9:1488 |DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03943-0 | http://www.nature.com/naturecommunications
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is due to the selective destruction of islet beta cells by
immune cells. Current therapies focused on repressing the immune attack or stimulating beta
cell regeneration still have limited clinical efficacy. Therefore, it is timely to identify innovative
targets to dampen the immune process, while promoting beta cell survival and function. Liver
receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is a nuclear receptor that represses inflammation in digestive
organs, and protects pancreatic islets against apoptosis. Here, we show that BL001, a small
LRH-1 agonist, impedes hyperglycemia progression and the immune-dependent inflammation
of pancreas in murine models of T1DM, and beta cell apoptosis in islets of type 2 diabetic
patients, while increasing beta cell mass and insulin secretion. Thus, we suggest that LRH-1
agonism favors a dialogue between immune and islet cells, which could be druggable to
protect against diabetes mellitus.
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