Novel therapeutical approaches based on neurobiological and genetic strategies for diabetic polyneuropathy - A review

Abstract

Background: Neuropathy is among the most often reported consequences of diabetes and the biggest cause of morbidity and mortality in people suffering from this life-long disease. Although different therapeutic methods are available for diabetic neuropathy, it is still the leading cause of limb amputations, and it significantly decreases patients' quality of life.

Aim: This study investigates potential novel therapeutic options that could ameliorate symptoms of DN.

Methodology: Research and review papers from the last 10 years were taken into consideration.

Results: There are various traditional drugs and non-pharmacological methods used to treat this health condition. However, the research in the area of pathogenic-oriented drugs in the treatment of DN showed no recent breakthroughs, mostly due to the limited evidence about their effectiveness and safety obtained through clinical trials. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for the development of novel therapeutic options for diabetic neuropathy.

Conclusion: Some of the latest novel diagnostic methods for diagnosing diabetic neuropathy are discussed as well as the new therapeutic approaches, such as the fusion of neuronal cells with stem cells, targeting gene delivery and novel drugs.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory drugs; Diabetic neuropathy; Heat shock proteins; Inflammation; Oligonucleotides; Stem cells therapy.