Potentials of Gene Therapy for Diabetic Retinopathy: The Use of Nucleic Acid Constructs Containing a TXNIP Promoter.

ABSTRACT: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is considered as a chronic eye disease leading to blindness. DR is associated with hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation and premature cell death. DR affects retinal capillaries, neuroretina and the retinal pigment epithelium. Recently, the thioredoxin-interacting protein TXNIP has been shown as a pro-oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic protein, highly induced by diabetes and high glucose in all cells examined including the retina. TXNIP's actions involve binding to and inhibition of anti-oxidant and thiol-reducing capacities of thioredoxins (Trx) causing cellular oxidative stress and apoptosis. Trx1 is found in the cytosol and nucleus while Trx2 is the mitochondrial isoform. Several studies provided evidence that

SUBMITTER: Lalit PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6519956 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature