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We're the UK’s leading diabetes charity. Tweets answered 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. https://t.co/ViqyAIwYuy

Nov 12, 2021, 6 tweets

πŸ“’ You say research, I say Friday!

It's that time of week again, and today's #ResearchFriday is all about zombie cells... 🧟 (1/6)

Cells in our immune systems, called T cells, help us fight infections and heal wounds.

As we get older, T cells can sometimes go wrong and become zombie-like. They don't die as cells naturally should and they turn other cells into 'zombies' too. (2/6)

πŸ”¬ Dr Sian Henson found that people with #Type2 diabetes have more zombie T cells than people without diabetes. It means wounds don’t heal as quickly and they could make you more prone to infections. (3/6)

Now, with our funding Dr Henson is trying to figure out why and how zombie T cells are different in people with type 2 diabetes by using a radioactive tag to track how they move around the body. (4/6)

This project could help scientists develop new drugs that keep T cells and the immune system working as they should in people with type 2 diabetes, to help them stay healthy and avoid complications. (5/6)

Thanks so much Dr Henson and team for all your hard work! We look forward to hearing more about your findings in the future. 🌟 (6/6) #WorldDiabetesDay #100YearsOfInsulin #LabToLife

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