Keeping blood vessels healthy in diabetes

Targeting Nox2 NADPH oxidase in insulin resistance related atherosclerosis and oxidative stress

Narrowing of the blood vessels is a major problem for people with diabetes and can cause high blood pressure and predispose to heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease. Professor Mark Kearney and colleagues from the University of Leeds will investigate how to prevent this blood vessel narrowing. The team has shown that the blood vessels of people with diabetes produce high levels of harmful gases, called reactive oxygen species. In this project, the researchers will work out how to prevent production of these harmful gases, at the same time avoiding affecting the production of gases that maintain healthy blood vessels. Their findings should help to develop new treatments for the dangerous complications of diabetes.