New research in mice reveals that the microbiome influences the development of insulin-producing cells in infancy leading to lasting effects on metabolism and diabetes risk. These findings could help doctors lower the risk of type 1 diabetes or even restore metabolic function in adulthood by introducing specific gut microbes that support pancreatic growth and healing.

Researchers found that early-life exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics negatively impacts long-term metabolic health in mice. When given antibiotics during a critical 10-day window after birth the mice developed fewer beta cells pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production leading to higher blood sugar and lower insulin levels in adulthood.

This, to me, was shocking and a bit scary says June Round, PhD, professor of pathology at University of Utah Health and a senior author of the study. It showed how important the microbiota is during this very short early period of development.

By testing different antibiotics targeting various microbes the researchers identified several specific microbes that increased insulin-producing tissue and boosted insulin levels. Notably one of these beneficial microbes is Candida dubliniensis a largely unstudied fungus that isn’t typically found in healthy adults but may be more common in infants.

Early-life exposure to Candida dubliniensis significantly lowered the risk of type 1 diabetes in genetically predisposed male mice. When these mice were colonized with a metabolically neutral microbe in infancy 90% developed diabetes. However, those exposed to C. dubliniensis had a dramatically reduced incidence less than 15%.

The researchers also discovered that C. dubliniensis could aid pancreatic recovery. When introduced to adult mice with destroyed insulin-producing cells the fungus stimulated cell regeneration and improved metabolic function an unusual phenomenon as these cells typically do not regrow in adulthood.

One possibility in the far future is that maybe signals like these could be harnessed not only as a preventative but also as a therapeutic to help later in life says Jennifer Hill, PhD, first author of the study, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral scientist in the Round Lab. Hill is now an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.

If these findings translate to humans, microbe-derived molecules could potentially restore pancreatic function in people with diabetes. However Hill cautions that while beta cell regeneration has shown promise in mice, similar treatments have not yet been successful in humans.

C. dubliniensis supports insulin-producing cells by influencing the immune system, as pancreatic immune cells help foster their growth. Mice without a microbiome had fewer immune cells and worse metabolic function but an early-life C. dubliniensis boost restored both. The fungus’s benefits depend on macrophages highlighting its immune-related role in metabolism. Researchers hope to identify similar microbes that could one day help prevent type 1 diabetes in infants.

Source: https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2025/03/early-life-gut-microbes-may-protect-against-diabetes-research-mice-suggests