International Journal of Molecular Sciences· 2018Q1· Review
Diabetic Retinopathy: Pathophysiology and Treatments
- 1,363citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2018year
Short summary
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a common diabetes complication, involves more than just microvascular damage, with inflammation and neurodegeneration also contributing significantly to retinal damage.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Diabetic retinopathy involves microvascular damage, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.
- Current anti-VEGF treatments offer limited visual improvement for many patients.
- New therapeutic targets are needed to address the multifaceted pathophysiology of DR.
- Investigating underlying molecular mechanisms can lead to early intervention strategies.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). It has long been recognized as a microvascular disease. The diagnosis of DR relies on the detection of microvascular lesions. The treatment of DR remains challenging. The advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy demonstrated remarkable clinical benefits in DR patients; however, the majority of patients failed to achieve clinically-significant visual improvement. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of new treatments. Laboratory and clinical evidence showed that in addition to microvascular changes, inflammation and retinal neurodegeneration may contribute to diabetic retinal damage in the early stages of DR. Further investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms may provide targets for the development of new early interventions. Here, we present a review of the current understanding and new insights into pathophysiology in DR, as well as clinical treatments for DR patients. Recent laboratory findings and related clinical trials are also reviewed.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018 · DOI ↗
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Field: Ophthalmology
OphthalmologyMedicine