However, a point of no return was reached by islet transplantation after eight months (~32 weeks) of hyperglycemia, and glomerular TGF-β1 gene expression remained increased until the end of the study (12 months following the onset of diabetes), accompanied by increases in the gene expression of fibronectin and collagen IV, urinary albumin excretion, proteinuria, and mesangial expansion62. The gene discussed is ALB; the disease is diabetes mellitus.