COVID-19 Causing Type-1 Diabetes Spontaneously

New research on novel coronavirus shows that the infection may trigger type-1 diabetes.

For developing severe COVID-19, diabetes is one of the key risk factors and in some cases the patients may die.
The new research has evidence that novel coronavirus might trigger diabetes in some people who were free from diabetes.
The 2002 SARS coronavirus too caused diabetes in patients.
The virus binds the ACE2 receptors involved in controlling blood sugar in organs like the liver and pancreatic beta cells and infects the cells in the organ.
The research study shows that there is a two-way relationship between Covid-19 and diabetes. Diabetes is the key risk factor for severe Covid-19 and on the other hand, new research showed severe metabolic complications of preexisting diabetes.
The new research needs more evidence to prove that COVID-19 causes type-1 diabetes.
With the new finding, a global database to collect information on people with COVID-19 and patients who do not have type-1 diabetes has been initiated.
Researchers want to use the database to understand whether SARS-CoV-2 can induce type-1 diabetes or a new form of the disease.

Type-1 diabetes is caused when the patient’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells, which produce insulin in the pancreas.
When the beta cells are destroyed, the production of insulin will reduce.
Hence, the ability of the body to control blood sugar is compromised and leads to type-1 diabetes.

Researchers used human pluripotent stem cells to grow miniature liver and pancreas.
They transplanted the miniature pancreatic endocrine cells into mice.
They examined the xenografted pancreas and found ACE2 receptors on beta and alpha cells of the mice.
When the mice infected with coronavirus the beta cell also infected by the virus.
The researchers were able to study the capability of the virus in damaging the cells that control the blood-sugar levels and triggering acute-onset of type-1 diabetes.