A coalition of researchers led by Dr. Ramnik Xavier of Mass General has identified a connection between changes in gut microbiota (the microbes living in our intestines) and the onset of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). The study, which
followed infants who were genetically predisposed to develop T1D, found that the onset of diabetes was preceded by a drop in microbial
biodiversity—including a disproportional decrease in a number of microbiotic species known to promote health in the gut.
The findings could help pave the way for microbial-based diagnostic tests and therapeutic options for those with T1D. Researchers from
the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the DIABIMMUNE Study Group were also part of the study team.