Purpose of review: Metabolomics is the study of dysregulated metabolites in biological materials. We reviewed the use of the technique to elucidate the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Recent findings: With regard to metabolomic studies of diabetic retinopathy, the field remains in its infancy with few studies published to date and little replication of results. Vitreous and serum samples are the main tissues examined, and dysregulation in pathways such as the pentose phosphate pathway, arginine to proline pathway, polyol pathway, and ascorbic acidic pathways have been reported. Few studies have examined the metabolomic underpinnings of diabetic retinopathy. Further research is required to replicate findings to date and determine longitudinal associations with disease.
Keywords: Arginine; Ascorbic acid; Blood; Diabetic retinopathy; Metabolomics; Metabonomic.