REN and type 2 diabetes mellitus: PSCs are activated to proliferate and generate fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) by a range of environmental stimuli which are also associated with T2DM, including hyperglycemia [3, 16], renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation [17], oxidative stress [4, 13], platelet-derived growth factors [18], and inflammatory cytokines [19].