Cold atmospheric plasma is a promising strategy for treating diabetic retinopathy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Plasma Medicine

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) presents significant treatment challenges due to efficacy and safety limitations of current therapies.
• Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and hypoxia-driven neovascularization are key drivers of DR progression.
• AMP-activated protein kinase and hypoxia-inducible factor are crucial sensors in DR pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) as a stage-specific adjuvant therapy for diabetic retinopathy.
• To highlight CAP's multimodal action on oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and inflammation in DR.
• To outline a translational strategy for integrating CAP into DR management.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical and clinical evidence supporting CAP's therapeutic potential in DR.
• Analysis of CAP's mechanism of action, focusing on reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.
• Discussion of controlled CAP dosing and differential calibration for various DR stages.

Main Results:

• CAP demonstrates a favorable safety profile and multimodal regulatory capacity relevant to DR pathobiology.
• CAP can modulate antioxidant defenses, abnormal angiogenesis, and chronic inflammation implicated in DR.
• Evidence suggests CAP can address core pathological mechanisms across different DR stages.

Conclusions:

• Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) offers a promising, stage-specific therapeutic strategy for diabetic retinopathy.
• Controlled CAP application, with stage-specific dosing, may overcome current treatment limitations.
• This approach has the potential to transform diabetic retinopathy management paradigms.