Is Type 1 Diabetes a Slow Virus Disease?

In this episode, experts in diabetes and virology, Profs. Knut Dahl-Jørgensen (University of Oslo), Heikki A. Hyöty (Tampere University), and Decio L. Eizirik (Université Libre de Bruxelles), explore the long-debated link between viral infections and type 1 diabetes. With new technologies enabling the detection of viruses at unprecedented sensitivity, the evidence connecting enteroviruses - particularly Coxsackie B viruses - to beta cell damage is becoming stronger. The discussion covers groundbreaking studies detecting viruses in pancreatic tissue, trials using antiviral therapies to preserve insulin production, and the development of vaccines aimed at preventing disease onset. The panel also explores why certain cells are more vulnerable than others, how persistent infections may drive autoimmunity, and what lessons can be learned from unexpected sources, including bat immunity. Join us for a deep dive into one of the most complex and promising areas of diabetes research, and what it could mean for future prevention strategies.