Towards a New Biomarker for Diabetic Retinopathy: Exploring RBP3 Structure and Retinoids Binding for Functional Imaging of Eyes In Vivo

Two-photon excitation fluorescence in ophthalmology: safety and improved imaging for functional diagnostics

Two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) is emerging as a powerful imaging technique with superior penetration power in scattering media, allowing for functional imaging of biological tissues at a subcellular level. TPEF is commonly used in cancer diagnostics, as it enables the direct observation of metabolism within living cells. The technique is now widely used in various medical fields, including ophthalmology. The eye is a complex and delicate organ with multiple layers of different cell types and tissues. Although this structure is ideal for visual perception, it generates aberrations in TPEF eye imaging. However, adaptive optics can now compensate for these aberrations, allowing for improved imaging of the eyes of animal models for human diseases. The eye is naturally built to filter out harmful wavelengths, but these wavelengths can be mimicked and thereby utilized in diagnostics via two-photon (2Ph) excitation. Recent advances in laser-source manufacturing have made it possible to minimize the exposure of in vivo measurements within safety, while achieving sufficient signals to detect for functional images, making TPEF a viable option for human application. This review explores recent advances in wavefront-distortion correction in animal models and the safety of use of TPEF on human subjects, both of which make TPEF a potentially powerful tool for ophthalmological diagnostics.

Inhibition of Galectins and the P2X7 Purinergic Receptor as a Therapeutic Approach in the Neurovascular Inflammation of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most frequent microvascular retinal complication of diabetic patients, contributing to loss of vision. Recently, retinal neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration have emerged as key players in DR progression, and therefore, this review examines the neuroinflammatory molecular basis of DR. We focus on four important aspects of retinal neuroinflammation: (i) the exacerbation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress; (ii) the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome; (iii) the role of galectins; and (iv) the activation of purinergic 2X7 receptor (P2X7R). Moreover, this review proposes the selective inhibition of galectins and the P2X7R as a potential pharmacological approach to prevent the progression of DR.