Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the common complications of diabetes, is the leading cause of visual loss in working-age individuals in many industrialized countries. It has been traditionally regarded as a purely microvascular disease in the retina. However, an increasing number of studi...

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Main Authors: Shen Nian, Amy C. Y. Lo, Yajing Mi, Kai Ren, Di Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-05-01
Series:Eye and Vision
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40662-021-00239-1
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spelling doaj-3f39d634d4e346f4bc03628ad552a43a2021-05-02T11:26:17ZengBMCEye and Vision2326-02542021-05-018111910.1186/s40662-021-00239-1Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targetsShen Nian0Amy C. Y. Lo1Yajing Mi2Kai Ren3Di Yang4Department of Pathology, Xi’an Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong KongInstitute of Basic Medicine Science, Xi’an Medical UniversityDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xi’an Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming Medical UniversityAbstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the common complications of diabetes, is the leading cause of visual loss in working-age individuals in many industrialized countries. It has been traditionally regarded as a purely microvascular disease in the retina. However, an increasing number of studies have shown that DR is a complex neurovascular disorder that affects not only vascular structure but also neural tissue of the retina. Deterioration of neural retina could precede microvascular abnormalities in the DR, leading to microvascular changes. Furthermore, disruption of interactions among neurons, vascular cells, glia and local immune cells, which collectively form the neurovascular unit, is considered to be associated with the progression of DR early on in the disease. Therefore, it makes sense to develop new therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse retinal neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and impaired cell-cell interactions of the neurovascular unit in early stage DR. Here, we present current perspectives on the pathophysiology of DR as a neurovascular disease, especially at the early stage. Potential novel treatments for preventing or reversing neurovascular injuries in DR are discussed as well.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40662-021-00239-1Diabetic retinopathyNeurovascular unitNeurodegenerationGliosisInflammationtreatment
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Shen Nian
Amy C. Y. Lo
Yajing Mi
Kai Ren
Di Yang
spellingShingle Shen Nian
Amy C. Y. Lo
Yajing Mi
Kai Ren
Di Yang
Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
Eye and Vision
Diabetic retinopathy
Neurovascular unit
Neurodegeneration
Gliosis
Inflammation
treatment
author_facet Shen Nian
Amy C. Y. Lo
Yajing Mi
Kai Ren
Di Yang
author_sort Shen Nian
title Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
title_short Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
title_full Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
title_fullStr Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
title_full_unstemmed Neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
title_sort neurovascular unit in diabetic retinopathy: pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutical targets
publisher BMC
series Eye and Vision
issn 2326-0254
publishDate 2021-05-01
description Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the common complications of diabetes, is the leading cause of visual loss in working-age individuals in many industrialized countries. It has been traditionally regarded as a purely microvascular disease in the retina. However, an increasing number of studies have shown that DR is a complex neurovascular disorder that affects not only vascular structure but also neural tissue of the retina. Deterioration of neural retina could precede microvascular abnormalities in the DR, leading to microvascular changes. Furthermore, disruption of interactions among neurons, vascular cells, glia and local immune cells, which collectively form the neurovascular unit, is considered to be associated with the progression of DR early on in the disease. Therefore, it makes sense to develop new therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse retinal neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and impaired cell-cell interactions of the neurovascular unit in early stage DR. Here, we present current perspectives on the pathophysiology of DR as a neurovascular disease, especially at the early stage. Potential novel treatments for preventing or reversing neurovascular injuries in DR are discussed as well.
topic Diabetic retinopathy
Neurovascular unit
Neurodegeneration
Gliosis
Inflammation
treatment
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40662-021-00239-1
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