Animal Models of Diabetic Retinopathy (Part 1)

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable vision impairment and blindness in the working-age population worldwide. Numerous animal models have been developed for therapeutic drug screening and to further our understanding of the molecular and cellular pathological processes involved in DR. In this book chapter, we describe the cellular, molecular and morphological features of mouse models of DR as well as their respective advantages and limitations. To date, no animal model can holistically reproduce the pathological progression of human DR; most only display early or advanced lesions of DR. However, a thorough understanding of genotypic and phenotypic expressions of existing models will facilitate researchers’ selection of the appropriate model to simulate their desired clinical scenarios.