Crosstalk between neutrophils, B-1a cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells initiates autoimmune diabetes

The early events in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes remain incompletely understood. Julien Diana et al. now show that in response to physiological beta cell death, innate immune cells including neutrophils and B1-a cells are recruited early on to pancreatic islets. These cells promote interferon-α production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the pancreas, promoting autoreactive T cell responses and autoimmunity.