Immunomodulating effect of Curcumin on key immune cell populations involved in type 1 diabetes

CASTRO, C.; BARCALA TABARROZI, A.E.; ANTUNICA NOGUEROL, M.; LIBERMAN, A.C.; DEWEY, R.A.; ARZT, E.; PERONE, M.J.

Capital Federal, Buenos Aires

Simposio; Frontiers in BioScience-Joint Symposium of the Max Planck Society and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.; 2012

Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires, partner de la sociedad Max Planck

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease that progressively destroys beta cells from pancreas. T helper 1 (Th1) lymphocytes promote this disease. Antigen presenting cells, as macrophages and dendritic cells, play a key role in the pathogenesis of T1DM given their ability to present beta-specific antigens and stimulate diabetogenic T -cell proliferation. Curcumin (Cur, diferuloymethane) is a potent anti-oxidant, anti-tumoral and anti-inflammatory natural compound, extracted from the rizhome of Curcuma Longa. Therefore we study the potential therapeutic effect of curcumin on cyclophosphamide(CYP)-induced diabetes in NOD (non-obese dibetic) mice, an accelerated and synchronized model of T1DM. Previous results showed that Cur prevents T1DM in NOD mice treated with CYP. In this report we describe the effect of Cur on several key immune cells such as T-Lymphocytes and dendritic cells, involved in the development of T1DM.