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Usage Information

Mitophagy protects β cells from inflammatory damage in diabetes
Vaibhav Sidarala, Gemma L. Pearson, Vishal S. Parekh, Benjamin Thompson, Lisa Christen, Morgan A. Gingerich, Jie Zhu, Tracy Stromer, Jianhua Ren, Emma C. Reck, Biaoxin Chai, John A. Corbett, Thomas Mandrup-Poulsen, Leslie S. Satin, Scott A. Soleimanpour
Vaibhav Sidarala, Gemma L. Pearson, Vishal S. Parekh, Benjamin Thompson, Lisa Christen, Morgan A. Gingerich, Jie Zhu, Tracy Stromer, Jianhua Ren, Emma C. Reck, Biaoxin Chai, John A. Corbett, Thomas Mandrup-Poulsen, Leslie S. Satin, Scott A. Soleimanpour
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Research Article Endocrinology

Mitophagy protects β cells from inflammatory damage in diabetes

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Abstract

Inflammatory damage contributes to β cell failure in type 1 and 2 diabetes (T1D and T2D, respectively). Mitochondria are damaged by inflammatory signaling in β cells, resulting in impaired bioenergetics and initiation of proapoptotic machinery. Hence, the identification of protective responses to inflammation could lead to new therapeutic targets. Here, we report that mitophagy serves as a protective response to inflammatory stress in both human and rodent β cells. Utilizing in vivo mitophagy reporters, we observed that diabetogenic proinflammatory cytokines induced mitophagy in response to nitrosative/oxidative mitochondrial damage. Mitophagy-deficient β cells were sensitized to inflammatory stress, leading to the accumulation of fragmented dysfunctional mitochondria, increased β cell death, and hyperglycemia. Overexpression of CLEC16A, a T1D gene and mitophagy regulator whose expression in islets is protective against T1D, ameliorated cytokine-induced human β cell apoptosis. Thus, mitophagy promotes β cell survival and prevents diabetes by countering inflammatory injury. Targeting this pathway has the potential to prevent β cell failure in diabetes and may be beneficial in other inflammatory conditions.

Authors

Vaibhav Sidarala, Gemma L. Pearson, Vishal S. Parekh, Benjamin Thompson, Lisa Christen, Morgan A. Gingerich, Jie Zhu, Tracy Stromer, Jianhua Ren, Emma C. Reck, Biaoxin Chai, John A. Corbett, Thomas Mandrup-Poulsen, Leslie S. Satin, Scott A. Soleimanpour

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Usage data is cumulative from February 2025 through February 2026.

Usage JCI PMC
Text version 1,781 383
PDF 220 60
Figure 581 5
Supplemental data 209 5
Citation downloads 79 0
Totals 2,870 453
Total Views 3,323
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Usage information is collected from two different sources: this site (JCI) and Pubmed Central (PMC). JCI information (compiled daily) shows human readership based on methods we employ to screen out robotic usage. PMC information (aggregated monthly) is also similarly screened of robotic usage.

Various methods are used to distinguish robotic usage. For example, Google automatically scans articles to add to its search index and identifies itself as robotic; other services might not clearly identify themselves as robotic, or they are new or unknown as robotic. Because this activity can be misinterpreted as human readership, data may be re-processed periodically to reflect an improved understanding of robotic activity. Because of these factors, readers should consider usage information illustrative but subject to change.

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