Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin. Their death is a key feature of Type 1 diabetes, and that loss starts long before diagnosis. However, there has been no straightforward way to measure that early loss. Researchers now have identified an early biomarker of Type 1 diabetes-associated beta-cell loss in humans — microRNA-204. This biomarker may provide a much needed approach to assess early T1D-associated human beta-cell loss, even before onset of overt disease.
