Fig. 1.

In physiology, resident macrophages and cytokines have a homeostatic role in the development and function of islet β-cells. T2D is associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation in pancreatic islets. Insulitis is characterized by an elevated number of proinflammatory macrophages and increased levels of cytokines and chemokines and contributes to impaired islet function. Depletion of macrophages and inhibition of the IL-1 system in islets reduces macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory cyto- and chemokine expression and improves insulin secretion