It has been suggested that SOCS can help prevent cytokine-mediated apoptosis in diabetes through negative regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by immune cells, such as IFNγ, TNFα and IL-15. Improper functioning of one specific SOCS, SOCS3 may lead to type 2 diabetes, as it has been found that SOCS3 plays an important role in proper leptin signaling.