The discovery that a protein in the brain and pancreas changes shape when it turns itself off and on is the first small step towards better drugs or a vaccine to treat T1D.

Monash University Associate Professor Ashley Buckle said GAD65 has previously been linked to type 1 diabetes because the body makes antibodies against the protein. The new findings, published in the journal PNAS, show how the body interacts with the protein differently, depending on if it is on or off.

“The idea to immunise an individual with GAD65 to help the immune system develop a tolerance against it, to stop or at least dampen the immune reaction is a good one,” he said.

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