A Hypothesis From Metabolomics Analysis of Diabetic Retinopathy: Arginine-Creatine Metabolic Pathway May Be a New Treatment Strategy for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the serious complications of diabetes, which the leading causes of blindness worldwide, and its irreversibility renders the existing treatment methods unsatisfactory. Early detection and timely intervention can effectively reduce the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy. Metabolomics is a branch of systems biology and a powerful tool for studying pathophysiological processes, which can help identify the characteristic metabolic changes marking the progression of diabetic retinopathy, discover potential biomarkers to inform clinical diagnosis and treatment. This review provides an update on the known metabolomics biomarkers of diabetic retinopathy. Through comprehensive analysis of biomarkers, we found that the arginine biosynthesis is closely related to diabetic retinopathy. Meanwhile, creatine, a metabolite with arginine as a precursor, has attracted our attention due to its important correlation with diabetic retinopathy. We discuss the possibility of the arginine-creatine metabolic pathway as a therapeutic strategy for diabetic retinopathy.

Automated summary

Diabetic retinopathy, a serious complication of diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. The irreversibility of the condition makes current treatment methods unsatisfactory. Early detection and intervention are important in reducing the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy. Metabolomics, a branch of systems biology, can identify characteristic metabolic changes associated with the progression of diabetic retinopathy and discover potential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes the known metabolomics biomarkers of diabetic retinopathy and discusses the possibility of the arginine-creatine metabolic pathway as a therapeutic strategy.