Which type of diabetes is characterized by autoimmune destruction of beta cells?

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin. This autoimmune response leads to an absolute deficiency of insulin, as the immune system mistakenly targets and destroys these insulin-secreting cells. The condition often presents in childhood or adolescence but can occur at any age. Individuals with Type 1 diabetes require lifelong insulin therapy to manage their blood glucose levels.

In contrast, Type 2 diabetes mellitus primarily involves insulin resistance, where the body's cells do not respond effectively to insulin. In gestational diabetes, diabetes occurs during pregnancy, typically resolving after delivery, and is not due to autoimmunity. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a rare form of diabetes that is hereditary and primarily involves genetic mutations affecting insulin production, rather than an autoimmune process.