NLRC5 and diabetes mellitus: We could find no evidence that TGF β might suppress the expression of NLRC5, a critical regulator of MHC I. However, the reverse seems possible, as a deficiency in NLRC5 in endothelial and cardiac cells from a mouse model of diabetes [136], or in the human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 [137], showed abrogation of phosphorylated Smad2/3, suggesting a link between a loss of NLRC5 and reduced TGF β pathway signaling.