Our team’s goal is to direct pre-clinical and clinical translational research projects that build on basic discoveries. We work on the immunopathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. We identified the primary role of autoimmune recognition of proinsulin in type 1 diabetes and we are developing antigen-specific therapies to prevent diabetes. We are investigating immunopathogenesis of check point inhibitor induced autoimmunity. We also work on the development of immunosuppression free adrenal cell transplantation for treatment for adrenal insufficiency.

Key achievements

2015-2016   JDRF Mentored Clinical Research Fellowship

2008-2013   JDRF Career Development Award

2005   JDRF Travel Award

2004-2006   JDRF Postdoctoral Fellowship

Immunology

We study the precise mechanisms by which T cells destroy beta cells – the ultimate cause of type 1 diabetes – and test ways to prevent this from happening.

Lab head: Professor Tom Kay

View lab profile

Selected publications

Krishnamurthy B, Dudek NL, McKenzie MD, Purcell AW, Brooks AG, Gellert S, Colman PG, Harrison LC, Lew AM, Thomas HE, Kay TW (2006). Responses against islet antigens in NOD mice are prevented by tolerance to proinsulin but not IGRP. J Clin Invest 116(12):3258-65.

Jenkins AJ, Krishnamurthy B, Best JD, Cameron FJ, Colman PG, Farish S, Hamblin PS, O’Connel MA, Rodda C, Rowley K, Teede H, O’Neal DN (2010) Evaluation of an Algorithm to Guide Patients with Type I Diabetes Treated with Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) on How to Respond to Real-Time Continuous Glucose Levels- A Randomised Control Trial. Diabetes Care;33(6):1242-8.

Chee J, Ko HJ, Skowera A, Jhala G, Catterall T, Graham KL, Sutherland RM, Thomas HE, Lew AM, Peakman M, Kay TW, Krishnamurthy B (2014). Effector-memory T cells develop in islets and report islet pathology in type 1 diabetes. J Immunol;192(2):572-80.

Pathiraja V, Kuehlich JP, Campbell PD, Krishnamurthy B, Loudovaris T, Coates PT, Brodnicki TC, O’Connell PJ, Kedzierska K, Rodda C, Bergman P, Hill E, Purcell AW, Dudek NL, Thomas HE, Kay TW, Mannering SI. Proinsulin-specific, HLA-DQ8, and HLA-DQ8-transdimer-restricted CD4+ T cells infiltrate islets in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes.;64(1):172-82.

Eliana Mariño, James L Richards, Keiran H McLeod, Dragana Stanley, Yu Anne Yap, Jacinta Knight, Craig McKenzie, Jan Kranich, Ana Carolina Oliveira, Fernando J. Rossello, Balasubramanian Krishnamurthy, Christian M Nefzger, Laurence Macia1, Alison Thorburn, Alan G Baxter, Grant Morahan, Lee Wong, Jose M Polo, Robert J Moore, Trevor J Lockett, Julie M Clarke, David L Topping, Leonard C Harrison & Charles R Mackay. Gut Microbial Metabolites Limit Autoimmune T cell Frequencies and Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes. Nat Immunol. 2017;18(5):552-562.

So M, Elso CM, Tresoldi E, Pakusch M, Pathiraja V, Wentworth JM, Harrison LC, Krishnamurthy B, Thomas HE, Rodda C, Cameron FJ, McMahon J, Kay TWH, Mannering SI. ProinsuliC-peptide is an autoantigen in people with type 1 diabetes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Oct 16;115(42):10732-10737.

ORCID profile: 0000-0003-4735-2540