Effects of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Increased Weight on Metabolomic and Microbiome Profiles in the Pediatric Population

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the major type of childhood diabetes. In the last few decades, the prevalence of T1D has increased dramatically, particularly in children under 5 years of age. The rapid rise of T1D incidence coincidently follows the same trend as the outbreak of obesity, especially in developed countries. Indeed, epidemiological studies have revealed a strong association between obesity and the risk of T1D. Nearly 40% of pediatric T1D patients ages 2 to 18 years in the U.S. are obese or overweight. Excessive weight puts these children at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death for T1D. However, we still lack the appropriate criteria to diagnose and treat these patients in order to prevent early morbidity and mortality. This is mainly due to the fact that we remain ignorant about how the natural history and disease pathogenesis of T1D are altered by overweight or obesity. To address this unmet need, we will employ a series of cutting-edge techniques to investigate the role of obesity in T1D pathogenesis in human subjects.