Indeed, both pre-fibrillar oligomers22,68,69 and mature fibrils have been shown to induce cytotoxicity in different amyloid proteins.70–73 In the case of IAPP, amyloid formation is widely considered to be a significant factor in the deterioration of islet function and reduction in beta cell mass,19 which contributes to type II diabetes mellitus. The gene discussed is IAPP; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.