Abstract
There is increasing evidence that dysregulated immune responses play key roles in the pathogenesis and complications of type 1 but also type 2 diabetes. Indeed, chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, which are salient features of type 1 diabetes, are now believed to actively contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The accumulation of activated innate and adaptive immune cells in various metabolic tissues results in the release of inflammatory mediators, which promote insulin resistance and β-cell damage. Moreover, these dysregulated immune responses can also mutually influence the prevalence of both type 1 and 2 diabetes. In this review article, we discuss the central role of immune responses in the patho-physiology and complications of type 1 and 2 diabetes, and provide evidence that regulation of these responses, particularly through the action of regulatory T cells, may be a possible therapeutic avenue for the treatment of these disease and their respective complications.