The membrane-associated sialic acid-cleaving enzyme sialidase Neu3 (Fig. 2H), which may unmask Siglec-7 residues and thus induce Siglec-7 mediated inhibition of cell death25, was significantly down-regulated in islets isolated from patients with T2D, which is a further potential deleterious mechanism in the inflammation-initiation cascade. This evidence concerns the gene NEU3 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.