Ocaranza, M.P., Valderas, P., Moya, J. et al. Rho kinase cascade activation in circulating leukocytes in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. Cardiovasc Diabetol 19, 56 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-020-01027-2

The ROCK (unregulated Rho Kinase) intracellular metabolic pathway, which corresponds to the positive regulation of Rho kinase, is an important modulator of blood pressure and cardiovascular and renal remodeling. A role of the ROCK pathway in abnormal glucose metabolism has been described in preclinical animal models of diabetes, however, in humans there is not a large amount of data regarding patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) under pharmacological treatment. When compared to healthy subjects, the activation of the ROCK pathway was increased in patients with T2D in treatment with drugs that reduce blood glucose levels, and increased plasma levels of Angiotensin II were also observed. The participating researchers conclude that ROCK inhibition could have an additional role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.