Pancreatic islets of Langerhans are enveloped by peri-islet Schwann cells (pSC), which express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100beta. pSC-autoreactive T- and B-cell responses arise in 3- to 4-week-old diabetes-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, followed by progressive pSC destruction before detectable beta-cell death. Humans with probable prediabetes generate similar autoreactivities, and autoantibodies in islet-cell autoantibody (lCA) -positive sera co-localize to pSC. Moreover, GFAP-specific NOD T-cell lines transferred pathogenic peri-insulitis to NOD/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice, and immunotherapy with GFAP or S100beta prevented diabetes. pSC survived in rat insulin promoter Iymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (rip-LCMV) glycoprotein/CD8+ T-cell receptor(gp) double-transgenic mice with virus-induced diabetes, suggesting that pSC death is not an obligate consequence of local inflammation and beta-cell destruction. However, pSC were deleted in spontaneously diabetic NOD mice carrying the CD8+/8.3 T-cell receptor transgene, a T cell receptor commonly expressed in earliest islet infiltrates. Autoimmune targeting of pancreatic nervous system tissue elements seems to be an integral, early part of natural type 1 diabetes.

Oscillatory gene expression is fundamental to mammalian development, but technologies to monitor expression oscillations are limited. We have developed a statistical approach called Oscope to identify and characterize the transcriptional dynamics of oscillating genes in single-cell RNA-seq data from an unsynchronized cell population. Applications to a number of data sets demonstrate the utility of the approach and also identify a potential artifact in the Fluidigm C1 platform.

The risk of HBV intrauterine infection can be effectively reduced by administration of HBIG or Lamivudine in the 3(rd) trimester of HBsAg positive pregnant women.

Lamivudine in HBV carrier-mothers with high degree of infectiousness in late pregnancy effectively prevented HBV intrauterine infection and mother-to-child transmission.