Vitreous Transcriptomics in Diabetic Retinopathy: Current Research and Future Prospects

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of preventable blindness in working-age adults, yet the molecular mechanisms behind its vision-threatening complications remain not fully understood. Transcriptomics enables the study of these processes through active gene expression, providing a pathway to the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Vitreous humour is commonly affected in numerous retinal pathologies, including DR, and is accessible through pars plana vitrectomy, making it a good candidate for transcriptomics research. Following PubMed and Embase search, 18 articles on vitreous transcriptomics were included. They were subclassified into themes of non-coding RNA, RNA methylation, angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis. We concluded that vitreous transcriptomics has the potential to influence future DR diagnostics and therapeutics. However, current evidence is limited by underpowered studies and lack of standardised protocols.