Interferons Are Key Cytokines Acting on Pancreatic Islets in Type 1 Diabetes

The authors used deep RNA-seq analysis, followed by extensive confirmation experiments based on RT-qPCR, western blot, histology and use of siRNAs, to characterize the response of human pancreatic beta cells to each cytokine individually and compared the signatures obtained with those present in islets of individuals affected by type 1 diabetes.