Title: Early Life Nutritional Factors on Mucosal Immunity in The Development of Autoimmune Diabetes
| Authors: | L. Xiao, B. Van't Land, W.R. van de Worp, B. Stahl, G. Folkerts, J. Garssen |
| Published: | 2017 |
| Journal: | Frontiers in Immunology |
Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, which develops during infancy. Type 1 diabetes has a strong genetic basis, but might also be influenced by non-genetic factors. Non-genetic factors may include the development of the gut microbiota, which programs the infants’ immune system in early life. These non-genetic factors may offer targets for prevention and/or treatment of type 1 diabetes.
In the current review, nutritional approaches during early life to protect against the development of type 1 diabetes have been discussed. Current evidence suggests that exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding might play a protective role against the development of type 1 diabetes. The beneficial properties of human milk are possibly attributed to its bioactive components such as the unique immune-modulatory components human milk oligosaccharides. Human milk oligosaccharides intervention in early life seem to be an attractive strategy of prevention of type 1 diabetes and might play a key role in healthy immune development and creating a fit and resilient immune system in early and later life.
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