The association between hyperglycemia and inflammation and vascular complications in diabetes is now well established. Antidiabetes drugs may alleviate inflammation by reducing hyperglycemia; however, the anti-inflammatory effects of these medications are inconsistent and it is unknown whether their beneficial metabolic effects are mediated via modulation of chronic inflammation. Recent data suggest that immunomodulatory treatments may have beneficial effects on glycemia, b-cell function, and insulin resistance. However, the mechanisms underlying their beneficial metabolic effects are not always clear, and there are concerns regarding the specificity, safety, and efficacy of immune-based therapies. Herein, we review the anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects of current antidiabetes drugs and of anti-inflammatory therapies that were studied in patients with type 2 diabetes. We discuss the potential benefit of using anti-inflammatory treatments in diabetes and important issues that should be addressed prior to implementation of such therapeutic approaches.The prevalence of diabetes is on the rise, with 415 million people affected worldwide according to recent data from the International Diabetes Federation (1). This number is predicted to increase further, with 642 million people expected to develop diabetes by 2040. While many factors are known to contribute to the development of diabetes and its complications, the involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases has been gaining interest. It has long been appreciated that inflammation is central to the pathology of the pancreatic islet in type 1 diabetes. However, growing evidence suggests that inflammation also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, including obesity-related insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and diabetes-related vascular complications. Pioneering studies suggest that immunomodulatory treatments may improve glycemia, b-cell function, and/or insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes (2,3). These studies constitute a proof of concept that chronic inflammation is implicated in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, and therefore targeting inflammation may ameliorate diabetes, preventing its progression and vascular complications. However, the effects of immunomodulatory treatments are not limited to tissues involved in disease pathophysiology and thus might have unwarranted side effects. Moreover, current antidiabetes drugs may alleviate systemic and tissue-specific inflammation (4-12), and therefore the added value of using specific immunomodulatory treatments needs to be confirmed. Herein, we review the anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects of standard antidiabetes medications and of novel anti-inflammatory treatments. We further discuss issues that should be addressed prior to implementation of immune-based therapy in the treatment of diabetes.