EXtremely Early-onset Type 1 Diabetes EXtremely Early-onset Type 1 Diabetes (A Musketeers' Memorandum Study)

Type 1 diabetes happens when the body's own defense system, called the immune system, mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use sugar for energy. When these cells are destroyed, the body can't make enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels.

This study is unique because it focuses on children who developed Type 1 diabetes unusually early – before their second birthday. Normally, Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed a bit later in childhood, often around 13 years old. The researchers think that for diabetes to appear so early, something special or extreme must have happened with their immune system. By carefully studying these very rare cases, they hope to learn important lessons about what goes wrong at the very beginning of the disease. This could help us understand Type 1 diabetes better, no matter when it starts.

The researchers will look at many things, including the children's genes, how their immune cells behave, and even possible influences from their mothers during pregnancy. They will collect blood samples to see if the children still make any insulin and if their immune system is making specific "attack" cells against their own pancreas. Over time, the study has grown to also include healthy babies and children who don't have diabetes. This allows researchers to compare what they find in children with early-onset diabetes to how a healthy immune system develops. Ultimately, the goal is to find new ways to stop or slow down Type 1 diabetes from developing, which could help many people in the future.