CD4+, CD8+ T cells and B cells will be isolated from islets of patients suffering from type 1 diabetes. Laser dissection will be used to localize and isolate single cells after tissue staining and confocal imaging at high resolution. T cell receptors and B cell receptors will be isolated from single cells and expressed to characterize antigen specificity. T cells will also be characterized for their expression profiles of cytokines, chemokines, co-receptors, and transcription factors. These studies are aimed at discovering important new antigenic targets in type 1 diabetes and understanding the pathogenic process leading to T1D.
