cells Article Protective Role of Recombinant Human Thrombomodulin in Diabetes Mellitus Yuko Okano 1,2,†, Atsuro Takeshita 1,2,†, Taro Yasuma 1,2,†, Masaaki Toda 1, Kota Nishihama 2, Valeria Fridman D’Alessandro 1, Chisa Inoue 2, Corina N. D’Alessandro-Gabazza 1 , Tetsu Kobayashi 3, Yutaka Yano 2 and Esteban C. Gabazza 1,* 1 Department of Immunology, Faculty and Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +81-59-231-5037 † These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a global threat to human health. The ultimate cause of diabetes melli- tus is insufficient insulin production and secretion associated with reduced pancreatic β-cell mass. Apoptosis is an important and well-recognized mechanism of the progressive loss of functional Citation: Okano, Y.; Takeshita, A.; β-cells. However, there are currently no available antiapoptotic drugs for diabetes mellitus.