Taken together, accelerated neuroblastoma cell loss following exposure to autoantibodies in diabetes, TBI and TBI plus DM from patients having co-morbid Parkinson’s disease, or dementia [10] may be mediated by neuroapoptosis involving (in part) increased Casp3, Bnip3 and Nae1 gene expression. The gene discussed is BNIP3; the disease is diabetes mellitus.