Potential prospects of Chinese medicine application in diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

Current treatment strategies for diabetic retinopathy (DR), an eye condition that can lead to blindness, have mainly focused on proliferative DR, including vitreous injection, retinal photocoagulation, and vitrectomy. Vitreous injections mainly depend on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. In this editorial, we comment on the article by Sun et al. We focus specifically on the mechanisms of the protective effect of genipin on the retina. Genipin is a gardenia extract used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In their study, the authors suggest that controlling advanced glycosylation by the intraocular injection of genipin may be a strategy for preventing retinopathy. The innovative use of a Chinese medicine extract injected into the eye to achieve a curative effect has attracted our attention. Although TCM is effective in treating DR, the topical application of DR, especially intraocular injections, is not yet feasible. Herein, we present a brief analysis of effective Chinese medicines for the treatment of DR. The effectiveness of local injections of TCM applied directly into the eyes holds promise as an effective treatment approach for DR.

Keywords: Advanced glycation end products; Diabetic retinopathy; Genipin; Topical application; Traditional Chinese medicine.

Figure 1

The retinal protection mechanism of genipin. AGEs: Advanced glycation end products; CHGA: Chromogranin-A; UCP2: Uncoupling protein 2; GLUT1: Glucose transporters type 1; ATP: Adenosine-triphosphate; ROS: Reactive oxygen species.