Can the Human Plastisphere Account for the Rise of Type 1 Diabetes: A Computational Molecular Mimicry Study

An increased incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been widely documented, but its pathophysiological origins are poorly understood. The post-World War II expansion of the plastics industry in the United States and elsewhere coincides with a marked increase in T1DM incidence; however, no pathophysiological mechanism has been proposed that could justify such a temporal correlation. Here, we leverage recent advances in artificial intelligence and protein structure prediction and binding to show that molecular mimicry is a plausible pathophysiological mechanism for plastic fragments to induce onset of T1DM for individuals with certain HLA haplotypes.