Autoreactive T Cells and Cytokine Stress Drive β-Cell Senescence Entry and Accumulation in Type 1 Diabetes

Senescence is a β-cell stress response in type 1 diabetes (T1D), the origins of which are not understood. We wanted to determine the role of the T cell-mediated autoimmune process in β-cell senescence during T1D. In the nonobese diabetic mouse model, β-cell senescence largely depended on damage inflicted by autoreactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells during the development of T1D. Chronic exposure to sublethal doses of proinflammatory cytokines associated with the diabetogenic process was sufficient to elicit stable senescence phenotypes in human islets in culture. Our findings suggest that autoreactive T cells trigger not only β-cell death but also β-cell senescence, potentially via cytokine-dependent mechanisms in T1D. This finding has implications for understanding the mechanisms of action and beneficial impacts of immunotherapy using CD3 antibodies in T1D.