New research recently published in International Immunopharmacology explores the therapeutic potential of flavopiridol for diabetic retinopathy (DR) by suppressing DDX58 activation.

Mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DR and oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) were used to assess the role of flavopiridol in mitigating inflammatory responses and neovascularization. Wide-field SS-OCTA imaging was performed, centered around the optic nerve. Mice treated with flavopiridol exhibited reduced apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells (RGC) (Fig. 1B, C) and reduced neovascularization (Fig. 2B, C) compared with untreated mice. Retinal thickness measurements revealed the efficacy of flavopiridol in ameliorating retinal thickness and structure (Fig. 1H). Full-range SS-OCTA revealed that flavopiridol significantly reduced both neovascular and avascular areas (Fig. 2F).

Both in vivo and in vitro findings demonstrated that flavopiridol modulates the DDX58/NLRP3 signaling pathway, thereby exerting therapeutic effects in suppressing inflammation and neovascularization in DR. "These findings demonstrate substantial potential for improving clinical outcomes and enhancing the well-being of patients with diabetic complications."

A 400 kHz full-range swept-source OCTA (BMizar, TowardPi Medical) was used in this research to assess retinal changes and neovascularization in mice with DR. OCT and OCTA images of animal eyes can be captured without any extra lens using TowardPi's BMizar. Axial length calibration is also available on the device.

This study was authored by Dr. Xue Zhang, Dr. Qiang Hu, and the team led by Prof. Dawei Sun from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.

Link to original text: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567576924010257