The Postdoc will work on a project entitled “Resetting self-tolerance in autoimmune diabetes by proresolving mediators derived from apoptotic cell efferocytosis”. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease resulting from the selective destruction of insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells by autoreactive T lymphocytes. We hypothesize that administration of pro-resolving mediators, issued from apoptotic cell phagocytosis by macrophages (called efferocytosis), may constitute a promising strategy for controlling the dysregulated immune responses characteristic of T1D. Our research program will use both the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model and samples from T1D patients. Our first objective is to assess the capacity of NOD macrophages to produce pro-resolving mediators after apoptotic cell efferocytosis. A strong focus will be brought on immunomodulatory cytokines and lipid subclasses
(lipidomic approach). The second objective is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the pro-resolving mediators in autoimmune diabetes (NOD mouse model). Third, production of human pro-resolutive factors from T1D and healthy subjects will be compared to identify biomarkers of T1D.