Neurovascular Cell Death and Therapeutic Strategies for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness worldwide. DR was recently defined as a neurovascular disease associated with tissue-specific neurovascular impairment of the retina in patients with diabetes. Neurovascular cell death is the main cause of neurovascular impairment in DR. Thus, neurovascular cell protection is a potential therapy for preventing the progression of DR. Growing evidence indicates that a variety of cell death pathways, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, are associated with neurovascular cell death in DR. These forms of regulated cell death may serve as therapeutic targets for ameliorating the pathogenesis of DR. This review focuses on these cell death mechanisms and describes potential therapies for the treatment of DR that protect against neurovascular cell death.

Automated summary

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes and a prominent cause of blindness globally. Recently, DR has been defined as a neurovascular disease that impairs the retinal neurovascular function in individuals with diabetes. Neurovascular cell death is the primary cause of this impairment, and protecting neurovascular cells offers a potential therapy for preventing DR progression. Various cell death pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, are associated with neurovascular cell death in DR, and targeting these regulated cell death mechanisms may serve as therapies to ameliorate DR pathogenesis. This review focuses on these cell death mechanisms and presents potential therapies that protect against neurovascular cell death in the treatment of DR.