First treatment of a child suffering from severe ischemic cardiomyopathy with G-CSF and sitagliptin

Vascular repair strategies in type 2 diabetes: novel insights

Impaired functions of vascular cells are responsible for the majority of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recently a better understanding of mechanisms contributing to development of vascular dysfunction and the role of systemic inflammatory activation and functional alterations of several secretory organs, of which adipose tissue has more recently been investigated, has been achieved. Notably, the progression of vascular disease within the context of T2D appears to be driven by a multitude of incremental signaling shifts. Hence, successful therapies need to target several mechanisms in parallel, and over a long time period. This review will summarize the latest molecular strategies and translational developments of cardiovascular therapy in patients with T2D.

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Regulation of SDF-1/CXCR4 Axis: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) is a ubiquitously expressed protease that regulates diverse number of physiological functions. As a dipeptidase, it exerts its catalytic effects on proteins/peptides with proline, alanine, or serine in the penultimate (P1) amino acid residue from the amino terminus. The evidence to date supports an important effect of DPP4 in catalytic cleavage of incretin peptides and this perhaps represents the main mechanism by which DPP4 inhibition improves glycemic control. DPP4 also plays an important role in the degradation of multiple chemokines of which stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1, also known as CXCL12) is perhaps an increasingly recognized target, given its importance in processes, such as hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, and stem cell homing. In the current review, we will summarize the importance of DPP4-mediated enzymatic processing of cytokines/chemokines with an emphasis on SDF-1 and resultant implications for cardiovascular physiology and disease.