Molecular Research and Recent Advances in Diabetic Retinopathy—3rd Edition

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 803

Special Issue Editors


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1. Vuk Vrhovac Univerity Clinic, Merkur University Hospital, Zajčeva 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2. Medical Faculty, University of Zagreb, Šalata 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: diabetes type 1; diabetes type 2; metabolic syndrome; diabetic nephropathy; diabetic retinopathy
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Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Merkur University Hospital, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: diabetic retinopathy; prevention; retinopathy screening
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diabetes symbolizes one of the most challenging health problems of the 21st century and is projected to affect 700 million people by 2045. The most devastating components of diabetes are its chronic complications, which lead to a high risk of morbidity and mortality, as well as an increased cost burden on health systems. A frequent long-term microvascular complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working-age adults worldwide. The most pronounced risk factors for developing DR and its progression are longer diabetes duration, hyperglycemia, and hypertension. In addition to these traditional risk factors, multiple cellular pathways and potential molecular mechanisms have also been implicated in diabetes-induced complications. These mechanisms include increased polyol pathway flux, increased advanced glycation end-product formation, abnormal protein kinase C activation, activation of the diacyl–glycerol pathway, and increased oxidative stress. In addition, aldose reductase, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, vascular endothelial growth factor, angiotensin conversion, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 are some of the genes associated with the development of DR. Despite the declining trend in relation to new visual impairment and blindness due to DR in developed countries over the past decades, it is still the leading cause of blindness in working-age people.

In light of this, we welcome submissions to this Special Issue that focus on molecular research and recent advances in the field of DR. A thorough understanding of this harmful microvascular complication of diabetes is crucial to reduce the risk of blindness and disability in patients with diabetes.

Dr. Tomislav Bulum
Dr. Martina Tomić
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • diabetes
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • complications
  • vascular endothelial growth factor
  • retina
  • biomarkers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 3739 KB  
Article
Citicoline May Effectively Reduce Hard Exudates in Diabetic Retinopathy
by Martina Tomić, Toma Babić, Tomislav Bulum, Spomenka Ljubić and Tomislav Jukić
Biomedicines 2025, 13(10), 2358; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13102358 - 26 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) develops from the interplay of vascular, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative processes. Citicoline, a natural compound essential for cell membranes, enhances neurotransmitter levels, has a neuroprotective effect, reduces oxidative stress by increasing glutathione, and decreases glutamate toxicity. Studies suggest that a [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) develops from the interplay of vascular, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative processes. Citicoline, a natural compound essential for cell membranes, enhances neurotransmitter levels, has a neuroprotective effect, reduces oxidative stress by increasing glutathione, and decreases glutamate toxicity. Studies suggest that a citicoline liposomal formulation (eye drops) may prevent diabetes-induced retinal neurodegeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of citicoline eye drops on the clinical signs of DR in clinical settings. Methods: More than 100 patients with nonproliferative DR (NPDR) were selected consecutively from the DR screening program and included in this real-life prospective observational clinical study. Each patient underwent color-fundus photography of two fields (macular field and disk/nasal field) in both eyes using a standard 45° fundus camera. Patients were prescribed citicoline eye drops and followed for a period of one year or longer. Results: In 4 patients with NPDR and macular hard exudates, the application of citicoline (Omk1®) eye drops three times a day for at least six months to a year resulted in a reduction or complete disappearance of hard exudates. Conclusions: Our study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first one that establishes a clinically positive effect of citicoline eye drops on hard exudates in DR. However, to support the potential value of citicoline in the treatment of DR, the conclusions of this study still need to be confirmed by statistical analysis of a larger sample size and prospective studies with longer follow-up periods. Full article
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