Functional studies revealed that vascular BMPR2 mRNA expression is up-regulated in early stages of autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice [34] and improved renal bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) and BMPR2 mRNA expression following treatment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats is of benefit against renal damage during diabetic nephropathy [35]. Here, BMP7 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.