LabAO - Laboratory of Autoimmune Diseases:

The overall prevalence of autoimmune diseases is approximately 7%. They develop due to an altered function of the immune system. It turns on the individual by mistake and starts to destroy parts of the human body. It has got the influence not only on the patient´s life but they have major socio-economic impact. The everyday lifelong and mostly expensive treatment is usually necessary. Also death can even result from the disease by itself or its complication.

One of the most common autoimmune diseases is Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, T1D. In this case, organism attacks its own islet cells of Langerhans responsible for the release of insulin hormone needed for the utilisation of blood sugar. Diabetes can occur at any age. Insulin is required to treat diabetes, it has to be administered in 2 - 4 subcutaneous injections daily for the rest of patient´s life. Serious long-term complications can arise on various tissues (disorders of kidneys, eyes...).

Our mission is to discover methods and develop an efficient test for the identification of the immune cells in the bloodstream. The cells inclined to the destruction of pancreas to prevent overt disease when a reserve of insulin still exists. We have got international links and closely cooperate with major centres and laboratories in Czech Republic and abroad. (www.ikem.cz, www.idsoc.org)

We are able to detect autoreactive T lymphocytes stimulated by diabetogenic autoantigens - cytokine production determination using methods such as ELISPOT, ELISA, protein and gene microarray.

We are also interested in other autoimmune diseases. There are a lot of other diseases developing because of the self-attack on normal self-tissues - sclerosis multiplex, hepatitis, thyroid gland disorders, gut diseases...

Linked to our laboratory work we provide Preventive diabetologic counselling for diabetic patients, and their nearest relatives (parents, sisters and brothers, children).

If you would like to know more about the activities of our laboratory, be involved in our research (recently diagnosed T1D patients, or healthy volunteers), or support our research (i.e. financial support...) - please don´t hesitate and e-mail to: .

Many thanks for the contemporary and past help especially to the Život dětem association and also to diabetic and nondiabetic volunteers joint in our research.