Activation of PKC-δ and SHP-1 by hyperglycemia causes vascular cell apoptosis and diabetic retinopathy

Vascular defects resulting from pericyte cell death are thought to be a major underlying cause of diabetic retinopathy. Pedro Geraldes et al. investigate the signaling mechanisms by which hyperglycemia leads to pericyte death and delineate a pathway by which PKC-δ activation decreases antiapoptotic PDGF receptor signaling.