The gut microbiome may influence how type 1 diabetes develops in children at high genetic risk, a new study suggests.Researchers found that children whose gut microbiome stopped developing early had about three times the risk of developing type 1 diabetes or the immune attack that precedes it, compared with those whose microbiomes continued to mature.The findings, published in Nature Metabolism, also showed that genetics influenced how strongly some microbiome patterns were associated with disease risk.Type 1 diabetes affects more than 9 million people worldwide, including 1.8 million children and adolescents."Understanding the role of microbiome development in diabetes progression could lead to early prediction and prevention strategies, giving us more options to delay or even prevent the clinical manifestation of this disease," said co-corresponding author Daniel Wang, associate scientist with the Channing Division of Network Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine.Study Tracked Children From Early LifeAlso read: Brain Health After 40: How Diabetes, Menopause And Early Detection Affect Dementia Risk | World Alzheimer’s DayThe longitudinal observational TEDDY Study followed 887 children at high genetic risk of type 1 diabetes and analyzed more than 12,000 stool samples collected during their first six years.Participants came from Finland, Germany, Sweden and the United States.Because the immune system can attack insulin-producing cells years before symptoms appear, researchers counted both the first detection of this immune attack and a clinical diagnosis as disease-related outcomes.They identified three microbiome development patterns: early-matured, late-matured and early-plateaued.Children with early-matured microbiomes developed greater bacterial diversity during their first year. Those with late-matured microbiomes started more slowly but eventually caught up.The early-plateaued group showed slow development that failed to catch up, with low bacterial diversity persisting through the first three years.Early Plateau Linked To Higher RiskChildren with an early-plateaued microbiome had about three times the risk of developing type 1 diabetes or its preceding immune attack.The association was also seen when the researchers analyzed the immune stage and clinical diagnosis separately.The finding emerged from repeated stool sampling over time, suggesting a single microbiome snapshot could have missed the association.Read More: Trying For A Baby? Tobacco Smoking Hurting Male And Female Fertility, Warns WHOMicrobiome Reflected Dietary ChangesThe bacterial differences also reflected how the children's microbiomes adapted as their diets changed.In the early-matured group, bacteria shifted sooner from milk-adapted species such as Bifidobacterium toward bacteria that break down dietary fiber.In the early-plateaued group, the microbiome remained more focused on digesting milk sugars even after solid foods were introduced and relied on a narrower range of bacterial species.Genetics Also Played a Role Lead author Danyue Dong, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Mass General Brigham shared that "genetic background" can also influence the risk. Dong noted that combining microbiome and genetic information gives a more accurate picture."By analyzing interactions between the microbiome and host genetics, we found genetic variants, particularly those involved in antimicrobial and antiviral immune responses, that shaped how strongly the late-matured pattern was related to disease risk. The early-plateaued pattern, by contrast, carried higher risk regardless of genetic background," the expert said.What It Means for PreventionThe study was observational, so it cannot establish that microbiome changes cause type 1 diabetes. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether modifying the microbiome can reduce disease risk.The findings also came from children already at high genetic risk, meaning they may not apply to the general population.Researchers say future pediatric care could potentially include microbiome testing during the first years of life. However, approaches such as dietary supplements would need to prove effective in clinical trials before being used for prevention.