Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies in Diabetic Retinopathy
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editor
Interests: retinal degenerative diseases; cellular and molecular mechanisms; blood-retinal barrier; cell–cell communication; therapeutics; extracellular vesicles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a progressive neurovascular complication of diabetes and remains a leading cause of vision impairment worldwide. Accumulating evidence from molecular, cellular, and multi-omics studies reveals that DR is not solely a microvascular disease but a complex disorder involving early neuronal injury, chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and breakdown of the blood–retinal barrier. Recent advances in high-resolution imaging, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling, and improved preclinical models are now delineating previously unrecognized molecular pathways, expanding the range of potential therapeutic targets beyond the VEGF-centered paradigm.
This Special Issue for IJMS welcomes submissions focused on the molecular basis of DR pathogenesis and treatment. Topics of interest include molecular signaling in neurovascular crosstalk, metabolic and inflammatory signaling, oxidative stress responses, cell–cell communication, biomarker discovery, and molecular predictors of treatment response. We also encourage studies exploring emerging interventions, such as gene and RNA-based therapies, pathway-specific inhibitors, neuroprotective molecules, and novel drug-delivery systems. Manuscripts addressing therapeutic resistance, personalized medicine approaches, and mechanistic insights from clinical or translational studies are particularly encouraged. Original research, reviews, perspectives, and methodological articles are all welcome.
Dr. Rosa Fernandes
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- diabetic retinopathy
- neurovascular unit
- molecular pathways
- neuroinflammation
- metabolic dysregulation
- blood-retinal barrier
- molecular biomarkers
- multi-omics
- molecular therapeutics
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