Studies in spontaneous islet amyloid formation in macaques and domestic cats have shown that amyloid forms in islets before fasting hyperglycemia, and the extent of amyloid deposition is associated with both loss of β cell mass and impairment in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, suggesting a causative role for islet amyloid in the islet lesion of type 2 diabetes [37]. The gene discussed is INS; the disease is amyloidosis.