Addition of hyperlipidemia in a hyperglycemic milieu, which mimics type 2 diabetes, further exacerbates Rac1–Nox2–ROS activation, and as the duration of diabetes increases, mitochondrial damage worsens, ultimately leading to the capillary cell loss and the development of diabetic retinopathy8,12. The gene discussed is RAC1; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.