Targeting aldose reductase for the treatment of diabetes complications and inflammatory diseases: new insights and future directions

Aldose reductase (AR) is an aldo-keto reductase which has been widely investigated as an enzyme crucially involved in the pathogenesis of chronic complications associated with diabetes mellitus. Recently it was established that AR also acts as a key mediator of certain oxidative and inflammatory signalling pathways that are involved in the development of different human pathologies, such as cardiovascular disorders, sepsis, and cancer. These findings have renewed interest in the search for new AR inhibitors (ARIs) with improved profiles as potential therapeutic agents. In this Perspective, recent advances in the field and promising future directions for developing ARIs are discussed.