title: β-Cell inflammation in human type 2 diabetes and the role of autophagy.
abstract: β-Cell failure is crucial for the onset and progression of human type 2 diabetes, and a few studies have suggested that inflammation may play a role. Immune cell infiltration has been reported in subpopulations of islets in some cases of human type 2 diabetes, and altered gene expression of a few cytokines and chemokines has been observed in isolated islets and laser captured β-cells from diabetic subjects. Recent observations on the links between inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy are putting the focus on the possibility that modulating the autophagic processes could protect the β-cells from cytotoxicity induced by inflammatory mediators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marselli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bugliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suleiman
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olimpico
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrini
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Boggi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Filipponi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000502:physiology
keywords: autophagy; inflammation; pancreatic islets; type 2 diabetes; β-cells