Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered how COVID-19 can trigger new cases of diabetes or worsen the condition in people who already have it. Using advanced stem cell models, the team found that the virus activates immune cells that destroy insulin-producing beta (β) cells in the pancreas. Their findings, published in Cell Stem Cell on September 2, 2024, provide new insights into the long-suspected link between viral infections and Type 1 diabetes.
“We were able to show how this happens in the context of COVID-19,” said Shuibing Chen, co-author and director of the Center for Genomic Health at Weill Cornell Medicine.
The study also revealed that a type of immune cell, proinflammatory macrophages, plays a key role in damaging pancreatic cells. The team used a unique mini-organ model system, known as pancreatic islet organoids, to observe the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the pancreas.
This breakthrough could pave the way for future treatments aimed at protecting the pancreas from viral-induced damage, potentially preventing diabetes complications in severe COVID-19 cases.
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