The Elizondo Lab investigates how immune dysfunction contributes to the breakdown of tissue integrity and glucose homeostasis in diabetes. Using transgenic mouse models of autoimmune (non-obese diabetic) and obesity-induced diabetes, we explore the molecular pathways that drive chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic failure.

We apply a wide range of advanced techniques, including: I) Flow cytometry and immune cell profiling; II) RNA interference and CRISPR-based gene editing; III) Single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing IV) Glucose/insulin tolerance testing and metabolic phenotyping; V) qPCR; VI) ELISA;  VII) western blotting; VIII) IX) multiplex cytokine analysis; X) Primary cell culture (adipocytes, macrophages, T cells, pancreatic islets); XI Fluorescence microscopy; and XII) In vivo lentiviral delivery and transgenic mouse models.