Gaining Weight: Insulin-Eating Islet Macrophages

The role of the immune system in homeostasis of pancreatic β cells in type 2 diabetes mellitus is poorly characterized. In a recent issue of Cell Metabolism, Ying et al. (2018) Ying W. Lee Y.S. Dong Y. Seidman J.S. Yang M. Isaac R. Seo J.B. Yang B.-H. Wollam J. Riopel M. et al. Expansion of islet-resident macrophages leads to inflammation 1 affecting β cell proliferation and function in obesity. Cell Metabolism. 2018; ( Publishing online December 27, 2018) Google Scholar report that two subpopulations of macrophages expand during obesity to impair β cell function