The cause of autoimmunity in patients with type 1 Diabetes: Research - Hindustan Times

The details of the events that occur during autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells have been studied extensively yet the mystery of what causes autoimmunity is unknown.

According to Corkey, her research led her to generate the testable hypothesis that the induction of autoimmunity is a consequence of one or more major inflammatory events in individuals with susceptible human leukocyte antigens (molecule found on the surface of most cells in the body that play an important part in the body's immune response to foreign substances) phenotypes plus elevated sensitivity to cytokines (substances secreted by certain cells of the immune system) and free fatty acids (FFA).

Corkey believes that the characteristics that make individuals susceptible to autoimmune destruction could also apply to other autoimmune diseases such as toxic shock syndrome and possibly long COVID