Immunopathology and immunotherapy

The team of Bart Roep investigates the dialogue between insulin-producing beta cells and the immune system. Recently, they discovered that T1D is not a mistake made by the immune system, but rather by the beta cells themselves. They also learned that the disease can be cured, but that it varies greatly between patients—making it essential to determine who can be cured, when, and how. This year, the team uncovered how people don’t develop T1D, and they are now translating these insights into new, personalized treatments for type 1 diabetes—for example, by making beta cells “invisible” to the immune system. For this groundbreaking research, Bart Roep received the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant in 2025.