Although the effects of increasing IGFBP-1 in podocytes in type 2 DKD in vivo are to be determined, protective effects of IGFBP-1 in diabetes and insulin resistance have been shown in models of cardiovascular disease, where it can improve blood pressure, NO production, atherosclerosis and vascular repair via its integrin-binding RGD domain [23, 38, 59]. Here, IGFBP1 is linked to atherosclerosis.