The in vivo protective role of SphK1 against pancreatic β cell apoptosis induced by gluco-lipotoxicity was supported by a recent study by Qi and co-workers who showed that while a high fat diet-fed wild-type (WT) mice developed glucose intolerance, all high fat diet-fed Sphk1 knock-out mice manifested evident diabetes, a phenomenon due to a drastic decrease in pancreatic β cell mass [95]. The gene discussed is SPHK1; the disease is diabetes mellitus.