Neurons in Alzheimer's disease and β-cells in type 2 diabetes are characterized by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis associated with formation of misfolded toxic oligomers of locally expressed amyloidogenic proteins (Alzheimer's b-protein [IAbP] in brain and islet amyloid polypeptide [IAPP] in beta-cells) [16, 17]. The gene discussed is IAPP; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.