Diabetic retinopathy: Molecular mechanisms, present regime of treatment and future perspectives

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a common disease with serious complications. One of the most devastating microvascular complications of DM is diabetic retinopathy (DR). Over the last decade considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the pathogenesis of DR, and several factors have been implicated in its pathogenesis. These include non-enzymatic glycation, glycoxidation, accumulation of advanced glycation end-products, free radical mediated protein damage, up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases, elaboration of growth factors and secretion of adhesion molecules in the vascular endothelium. The exact molecules involved and the precise mechanism of their interaction in the development of retinopathy are presented here. Also discussed are the conventional and molecular methods of treatment for DR and the growing need for the development of a novel, pharmacological therapeutic regime.