Effects of complement dysfunction on diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the common neuronal and microvascular complications of diabetes, and it is the key cause of blindness in the populations aged from 20 to 74.The pathogenesis of DR remains elusive, and the role of complement in DR has attracted intensive attentions in recent years.The dysregulation of complement factors and regulatory proteins could affect the fate and functions of pericytes, endothelial cells, neuronal cells and glia cells in retina, which may be novel targets for anti-DR therapy.Advances regarding the characteristics of complement in the eye, the relationship between complement dysfunction and DR, complement gene polymorphism in DR and recent therapy explorations targeting complement pathways were reviewed, so as to providing new clues for the related research in the future.