The Beneficial Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Diabetic Retinopathy: Mechanisms, Therapeutics, and Prospects

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular sequela of diabetes mellitus. Prolonged hyperglycemia can lead to retinal vascular damage, which in turn triggers vision loss and blindness. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has historically been effective against diabetes and related diseases such as retinopathy. It typically uses an evidence-based approach to treat DR, with treatment plans tailored to each patient’s specific condition and physical characteristics. This review discusses the pathogenesis of DR in modern medicine and TCM. It also summarizes four therapies for DR, including formulas, Chinese herbs, active components, and acupuncture. We systematically gathered and arranged the pertinent literature on DR from various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. We analyzed and summarized research advances in TCM for the treatment of DR. Moreover, the GSE60436 dataset was chosen to dissect the variations in gene expression and signaling pathways connected to diabetic retinopathy, employing Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database. Bioinformatics studies have indicated a potential link between the development of DR and the PI3K-Akt and AGE-RAGE pathways. At the same time, we emphasized the cutting-edge targets and strategies for DR treatment interventions. TCM exhibits a distinctive therapeutic efficacy in preventing and treating ocular conditions and mitigating DR via various mechanisms and routes. According to the principle of holistic dialectic treatment in TCM, choosing appropriate TCM treatments has the advantage of improving the clinical efficacy and reducing the complications of Western drugs.