The combined administration of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression plasmids has demonstrated synergistic effects on the prevention of autoimmune diabetes.
We concluded that oral administration of insulin can induce the presence of regulatory T-cells in the pancreas and the corresponding draining lymph nodes, initiate the secretion of IL-4 in this microenvironment sufficiently to suppress the activity of Th1 autoreactive T-cell clones, and ultimately provide protection against autoimmune diabetes.