Diabetes causes the breakdown of the inner BRB through the secretion of various substances by glial and immune cells within the NVU, including VEGF, pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1]), as well as components of the complement system [20]. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is diabetes mellitus.