Upregulated DE miRNAs were enriched for known T2D-associated molecular functions and targeted a greater number of mRNAs, including key regulatory targets such as DICER1 and CADM1. Moreover, functional characterization of clusters of co-expressed mRNA targets of upregulated miRNAs in T2D showed enrichment in pathways related to insulin secretion. Here, INS is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.