He LM, Borjigin S, Chen XQ, Yan ZL, Wang MJ. Therapeutic potential of integrins in diabetic retinopathy. World J Diabetes 2025; 16(5): 101509 [DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i5.101509]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zhao-Li Yan, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. 1 Tongdao North Road, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. aliceyzl@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Diabetes. May 15, 2025; 16(5): 101509 Published online May 15, 2025. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i5.101509
Therapeutic potential of integrins in diabetic retinopathy
Li-Mei He, Sarul Borjigin, Xin-Qi Chen, Zhao-Li Yan, Ming-Jie Wang
Li-Mei He, Xin-Qi Chen, Department of Internal Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Sarul Borjigin, Zhao-Li Yan, Ming-Jie Wang, Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Co-corresponding authors: Zhao-Li Yan and Ming-Jie Wang.
Author contributions: He LM substantially contributed to literature search, interpretation of relevant literature, article drafting, and revision; Borjigin S and Chen XQ contributed to the interpretation of relevant literature, prepared the table and figure, and revised the paper; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Yan ZL and Wang MJ contributed to the conception and design of the article, supervised the entire project process, and revised the article. Yan ZL and Wang MJ contributed equally to this study as co-corresponding authors.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia, No. 2022MS08057; and 2022 Autonomous Region Medical and Health Science and Technology Plan Projects, No. 202202190.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhao-Li Yan, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. 1 Tongdao North Road, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. aliceyzl@126.com
Received: September 18, 2024 Revised: January 17, 2025 Accepted: February 20, 2025 Published online: May 15, 2025 Processing time: 219 Days and 23.4 Hours
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of visual loss, is the result of microvascular damage induced by prolonged hyperglycemia. Numerous studies have revealed the pivotal role of integrins in the pathogenesis of DR, particularly in key processes such as inflammation, vascular leakage, microthrombus formation, and angiogenesis. Consequently, targeting integrins is considered a promising strategy for the treatment of DR. This review focuses on the function of integrins in DR and their potential as therapeutic targets. It describes the molecular mechanisms through which integrins influence DR progression and summarizes the latest outcomes of integrin antagonist-based therapeutic strategies in clinical studies, evaluating their efficacy and potential challenges, which offer promise as novel treatment options for DR.
Core Tip: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious and common complication of diabetes mellitus. Prolonged high glucose levels damage microvasculature in the retina and can lead to blindness. Current treatment options are limited, warranting novel therapeutic strategies. Therapies targeting integrins have shown promise. This review outlines the current understanding of the role of integrins in DR and the findings of preclinical studies and clinical trials investigating the potential of various integrin-targeted therapies. Thus, this review paper captures the current state of the field and identifies possible avenues for further study and treatment approaches.
