Non-viral gene therapy for diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy results from vascular abnormalities, such as an increase in the permeability of retinal vessels, and retinal neurodegeneration, which are irreversible changes that occur early in the course of diabetic retinopathy. To block the vascular and neuronal complications associated with the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy, a reasonable strategy would be to prevent the increased vascular permeability and to block the neuronal cell death. The purpose of this review is to present the non-viral strategies being used to block the neurovascular abnormalities and neuronal cell death that are observed in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy in order to prevent the onset or the progression of the diabetic retinopathy. Some of the non-viral gene therapeutic techniques being used are electroporation of selected genes, injections of antisense oligonucleotides, and injections of small interference RNAs. The results obtained. by these methods are discussed as is the potential of these therapeutic strategies to prevent the onset or the progression of the neurovascular abnormalities in diabetic retinopathy.