The field of research is to uncover the genetic and environmental etiology of autoimmune (type 1) diabetes, celiac disease as well as narcolepsy. The genetics of the disease is dissected also in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat. Specific autoantibody markers are used to predict the clinical onset of diabetes or celiac disease. Longitudinal studies of children at increased risk allow studies of the pathogenesis until the clinical onset. Clinical studies are carried out in subjects with one or several autoantibodies as well as at the time of clinical diagnosis to prevent clinical onset or preserve residual beta cells. The goals of our research are to identify the gene-environmental interactions that result in an HLA- associated appearance of autoantibodies against beta-cell autoantigens (insulin, GAD65, IA-2 and ZnT8 and minor autoantigens).