DPP-4 inhibitors and beta cell mass in Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes

Because type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by decreased beta cell mass (BCM), therapies to increase BCM are eagerly warranted. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) improve glycemic control in patients with T2DM. However, no conclusions have been drawn regarding the effect of DPP-4is on BCM in human islets. Because DPP-4is show greater hypoglycemic effects in Asians than in patients with other ethnicities, their effects on islets may also differ from those in the islets of patients with other ethnicities.