pretty sure its the beta cell that the immune system doesn't like.....the insulin is fine....
There are separate antibodies for the insulin molecule, beta cells, and other cells.
So one could theoretically produce enough insulin just fine with healthy beta cells, but as soon as they are released, WHAM, gone.
Recent news reports, shared right here on DCOUK, suggest it's damaged or "junk" insulin molecules and beta cells that are attacked by the immune system, so the disease itself isn't an auto-immune malfunction per se, but a perfectly valid immune response to damaged cells which it considers foreign, perhaps creating damaged insulin from an enterovirus (CVB-1). This is confirmed by the fact that all type 1s have some endogenous insulin production and thus functional, mature beta cells, throughout their lives (via both cp tests and autopsies proving it).
I sometimes wonder if any large percentage of those who post in this forum read the news section here, no offense. This data is well-known, and has been for years. Auto-Insulin-antibodies are not news, they've been known for decades now.