Reduced beta cell number rather than size is a major contributor to beta cell loss in type 2 diabetes – published online 03/05/2021

Hironobu Sasaki, Yoshifumi Saisho, Jun Inaishi, Yuusuke Watanabe, Tami Tsuchiya, Masayoshi Makio, Midori Sato, Masaru Nishikawa, Minoru Kitago, Taketo Yamada, Hiroshi Itoh

Beta cell mass is decreased in individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanisms of beta cell loss remain to be established. In this issue, Sasaki et al (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-021-05467-7) investigated the relative contribution of beta cell number and size on reduced beta cell mass in humans with type 2 diabetes. The authors report that there is a greater reduction in beta cell number than in beta cell size in type 2 diabetes. These results indicate that efforts should be made towards developing therapeutic strategies to prevent the reduction in beta cell number.