{
  "abstract": "Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by T cell–mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, in which antigen presentation is essential. Although professional antigen-presenting cells initiate autoreactive T cell responses, whether endocrine cells contribute to antigen presentation within inflamed islets remains unclear. Here, we show that pancreatic α cells acquire major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (MHC-II)–dependent antigen-presenting capacity during T1D progression. Reanalysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and human T1D islets revealed progressive up-regulation of MHC-II associated genes in α cells. Immunostaining validated the increased of MHC-II level both in NOD mice and patients with T1D. Mechanistically, inflammatory cytokines activated the Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway in α cells, leading to JAK-STAT–dependent MHC-II induction. Functionally, activated α cells internalized, processed, and presented exogenous antigens, acquired expression of costimulatory molecules, and promoted antigen-specific CD4+ T cell activation. These findings identify pancreatic α cells as nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells and expand the current understanding of antigen presentation in autoimmune diabetes.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.",
    "Laboratory Animal Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.",
    "Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.",
    "State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Advanced Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhehui Li",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-0347-309X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xinyun Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shuqian Ma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qingfan Zeng",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-2556-8261"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xin Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qianyi Xi",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-2730-6877"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Quan-wen Jin",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6146-6910"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zuliang Jie",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9245-9166"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "F. Susan Wong",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2812-8845"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Mingyu Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1217-2929"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/btabp481951xz.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aei0410",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13733896/",
  "id": "btabp481951xz",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aei0410",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
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  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Biomedicine and Life Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Immunology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Physiology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "SciAdv r-articles"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13733896",
  "pmid": "42981408",
  "published": "2026-11-04",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/btabp481951xz.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T00:20:34Z",
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      "source": "feed-science",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aei0410"
    },
    {
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      "source": "crossref",
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    {
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "heading:Immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "heading:Physiology",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Pancreatic α cells function as MHC class II–dependent antigen-presenting cells in type 1 diabetes",
  "title_text": "Pancreatic α cells function as MHC class II–dependent antigen-presenting cells in type 1 diabetes",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T12:23:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/btabp481951xz",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}