The Deutsche Autoimmun-Stiftung (German Autoimmunity Foundation) has set itself the goal of significantly supporting the funding of research and treatment for all autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. In Germany alone, around 5 million people are affected by an autoimmune disease.
The Nils Ilja Richter Prize has been awarded since 1999. Carolin Daniel was selected as the award winner in 2019 by an external commission of experts for her fundamental research on the role of regulatory T cells, or Tregs for short, in type 1 diabetes.
Professor Dieter Kabelitz, chairman of the German Autoimmunity Foundation, said in his laudatory address: “Professor Daniel has conducted fundamental research in mouse models, but has also investigated these insulin-specific Treg cells and their possible dysregulation in children with type 1 diabetes. The research group was able to demonstrate the presence of insulin-specific Tregs for the first time and has developed concepts for how insulin-specific Tregs can potentially be used therapeutically in the future to slow down the autoimmune process or to stop the autoimmune disease."