In vivo treatment with the NFAT inhibitor A285222 (0.29 mg/kg/day i.p.)for 4 weeks prevented diabetes-associated atherosclerosis lesions in the aortic arch independent of blood glucose lowering, accompanied by decreased expression of IL-6, OPN, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 and the macrophage markers CD68 and tissue factor (TF) in the aortic arch. The gene discussed is CCL2; the disease is atherosclerosis.