title: Retinal fibrosis in diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: In response to injury, reparative processes are triggered to restore the damaged tissue; however, such processes are not always successful in rebuilding the original state. The formation of fibrous connective tissue is known as fibrosis, a hallmark of the reparative process. For fibrosis to be successful, delicately balanced cellular events involving cell proliferation, cell migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling must occur in a highly orchestrated manner. While successful repair may result in a fibrous scar, this often restores structural stability and functionality to the injured tissue. However, depending on the functionality of the injured tissue, a fibrotic scar can have a devastating effect. For example, in the retina, fibrotic scarring may compromise vision and ultimately lead to blindness. In this review, we discuss some of the retinal fibrotic complications and highlight mechanisms underlying the development of retinal fibrosis in diabetic retinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: sayon@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Sayon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Shruti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Sumon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D063928:Ependymoglial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008028:Light Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Extracellular matrix; Müller cell; Retinal fibrosis; Vascular endothelial growth factor