Recent Highlights of ATVB Diabetes Mellitus

In summary, the significant rise in types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus is poised to impart grave consequences on health and lifespan of the world's population if left unchecked. Recent publications in ATVB highlight progress toward the identification of the fundamental mechanisms, and their interplay, that contribute to derangements in endothelial function, oxidative and inflammatory stresses in diabetes mellitus to mediate complications. Studies reported from primary cells contribute to elucidation of the key signaling mechanisms underlying complications and are buttressed by hypothesis-driven research in animal models. Using genetic modulation strategies, modulators of miRs, pharmacological agents and siRNA knockdown strategies, observations and associations progress to causality in diabetes mellitus. In large animal models of diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis, efforts to improve imaging and diagnostic capabilities with respect to atherosclerotic plaques hold promise for extrapolation to human subjects, given the similarity between the 2 species in vessel size and anatomic characteristics. The messages from these studies are brought home to the human subject in multiple papers that both suggest means to reduce diabetes mellitus risk and to mitigate the complications. Surely, we are getting closer to identifying fundamental causative pathways in complications-the challenge is to develop therapeutic strategies for rigorous testing in human subjects. ATVB will continue to track the promise of basic, translational, and clinical research in diabetes mellitus and its complications. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.