Current trends in single-cell RNA sequencing applications in diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is among the most prevalent metabolic diseases worldwide, associated with an increased risk of mortality. Although numerous studies have been conducted to uncover the cellular and molecular pathways associated with DM pathogenesis, reaching new diagnosis and treatment goals for DM requires further research. The progress in gene sequencing technologies, particularly in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), has yielded additional insights into the molecular pathways involved in the development and progression of DM. This review summarizes the latest advances and applications of RNA-seq technologies in diabetes research, such as the characterization of single human islet and immune cells in DM, and the applications of scRNA-seq in the treatment and early diagnosis of diabetes complications.