In the retina of mice with STZ-induced diabetes, Il-1β signal co-localized with ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), a microglial marker, mainly at the GCL (Fig. 6M–O), the site of predilection for retinal microglial cells activated by induction of diabetes to rats35,36. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and diabetes mellitus.