Dramatis Personae in β-Cell Mass Regulation: Enter SerpinB1

How is β-cell mass adjusted to changes in the functional insulin requirements? The answer to this question is central to the understanding of the causes and (potentially) the therapy of type 2 diabetes. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, El Ouaamari et al. (2016) report that increased production of the protease inhibitor SerpinB1 in the liver links insulin resistance to stimulation of β-cell proliferation. How is β-cell mass adjusted to changes in the functional insulin requirements? The answer to this question is central to the understanding of the causes and (potentially) the therapy of type 2 diabetes. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, El Ouaamari et al. report that increased production of the protease inhibitor SerpinB1 in the liver links insulin resistance to stimulation of β-cell proliferation.