Cow Milk Proteins and Their Role in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Development - An In Silico Approach of Possible Molecular Mimicry Mechanism

Abstract Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease that develops due to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas by the immune system. Cow milk is one of the dietary factors associated with the development of T1DM, as it contains proteins that may trigger the autoimmune response. Studies in silico have investigated the molecular mimicry mechanisms between cow milk proteins and human beta-cell antigens which may contribute to the development of T1DM in susceptible individuals. Objective: To analyze in silico the evidence of molecular mimicry between GAD65/ Human insulin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) and beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) as a potential trigger for T1DM. Method: The in silico analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools to compare the amino acid sequences of cow milk proteins (BSA and BLG) and human beta-cell autoantigens (GAD65 and Human Insulin). The structural and functional characteristics of the proteins were analyzed to identify potential molecular mimicry mechanisms. Results: The results of the in silico analysis showed significant sequence similarity between BSA and BLG, and GAD65 and Human insulin. The cow's milk proteins evaluated shared structural features with the beta cell antigens selected for comparison, indicating the potential for molecular mimicry between these proteins. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide further evidence for the potential role of cow milk proteins in the triggering of T1DM. The in silico analysis suggests that molecular mimicry mechanisms between cow milk proteins and human beta-cell antigens may contribute to the autoimmune response that leads to T1DM. This study highlights the importance of dietary factors in the development of T1DM and the need for further research to understand the mechanisms involved.