FAQ on type 4 diabetes

What is type 4 diabetes?
Salk scientists use this to describe age-related insulin resistance that occurs in lean, elderly people. While type 1 diabetes is a result of the immune system destroying insulin-producing cells and type 2 diabetes is caused by diet and obesity, type 4 diabetes is associated with older age, rather than weight gain. Type 3 diabetes is suggested for a type of insulin resistance that results in symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease.

What do we know about type 4 diabetes?
The Salk Institute labs of Ronald Evans and Ye Zheng discovered that diabetes in aged, lean mice has a different cellular cause than Type 2 diabetes, which results from weight gain. The mice with type 4 diabetes had abnormally high levels of immune cells called T regulatory cells (Tregs) inside their fat tissue. Mice with type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, had abnormally low levels of Tregs within the tissue, despite having more fat tissue.

Therapeutic intervention that blocks Treg cells from accumulating in the fat reverses age-associated type 4 diabetes. However, this kind of therapy does not prevent type 2 diabetes insulin resistance.

The researchers now want to see if the same process will help humans with this type of diabetes.

¿Cómo puedo inscribirme en un ensayo clínico sobre este trabajo?
The Salk Institute does not conduct human trials, but we do partner with a variety of research institutes and hospitals to test research. To find information on the current trial related to this work, visit:
www.clinicaltrials.gov

How can I donate to this work?
To donate to the Salk Institute, please visit: https://www.salk.edu/donate.

To learn more about this research, please visit: https://www.salk.edu/news-release/blocking-immune-cell-treats-new-type-age-related-diabetes/.