Predicting checkpoint inhibitor-associated autoimmune diabetes: prospects and limitations

Checkpoint inhibitor-associated autoimmune diabetes (CIADM) is a life-altering and potentially life-threatening complication of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in patients with cancer. Risk factors and predictors of this complication remain largely unknown. In this issue of the JCI, Wu et al. examined serum and PBMCs from 14 ICI-treated patients who developed CIADM and 28 matched controls. They identified several variables that were present prior to ICI treatment, including reduced pancreatic volume, islet autoantibodies, and biomarkers indicating immune cell activation, that together are highly predictive of development of CIADM. These findings could have profound clinical implications including treatment decisions, monitoring, and potential future prevention strategies.