Li L, Krznar P, Erban A, et al. - In the asymptomatic prediabetic stage, researchers conducted this investigation to identify novel plasma biomarkers for loss of functional ß-cell mass. Non-targeted and targeted metabolomics have been applied on both lean ß-Phb2-/- mice and obese db/db mice, two distinct mouse models that do not require either chemical or dietary treatments to induce spontaneous decline of functional ß-cell mass promoting progressive diabetes development. The authors identified 1,5-anhydroglucitol associated with the loss of functional ß-cell mass and uncovered metabolic similarities between liver and plasma, providing insights into the systemic impacts induced by early decrease in ß-cells.