BCL2 and type 1 diabetes mellitus: Anti-apoptotic proteins like BCL2 and MCL-1 help preserve mitochondrial integrity under normal conditions, but the proinflammatory environment of T1D—dominated by cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ—disrupts the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic signals, tipping the scale toward cell death [149,150].