Composition of the gut microbiome, role of diet, lifestyle, and antioxidant therapies in diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy.

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem in the gastrointestinal tract composed of trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Disruption of this delicate ecosystem, formally called "dysbiosis", has been linked to a variety of metabolic and inflammatory pathologies. Several studies have focused on abnormal microbiome composition and correlated these findings with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, given the complexity of this ecosystem, the current studies are narrow in design and present variable findings. Composition of the gut microbiome in patients with DR significantly differs from patients with diabetes without retinopathy as well as from healthy controls. Additionally, the gut microbiome has been shown to modify effects of medication, diet, exercise, and antioxidant use on the development and progression of DR. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of literature on the effect of oxidative stress, antioxidant therapies, and dysbiosis on DR.

Age-related macular degeneration and neurodegenerative disorders: Shared pathways in complex interactions.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease are debilitating conditions that affect millions worldwide. Despite the different clinical manifestations of these diseases, growing evidence suggests that they share common pathways in their pathogenesis including inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired autophagy. In this review, we explore the complex interactions between AMD and neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on their shared mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. We also discuss the current opportunities and challenges for developing effective treatments that can target these pathways to prevent or slow down disease progression in AMD. Some of the promising strategies that we explore include modulating the immune response, reducing oxidative stress, enhancing autophagy and lysosomal function, and targeting specific protein aggregates or pathways. Ultimately, a better understanding of the shared pathways between AMD and neurodegenerative disorders may pave the way for novel and more efficacious treatments.

Artificial intelligence in retinal image analysis: Development, advances, and challenges.

Modern advances in diagnostic technologies offer the potential for unprecedented insight into ophthalmic conditions relating to the retina. We discuss the current landscape of artificial intelligence in retina with respect to screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of retinal pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, central serous chorioretinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. We review the methods used in these models and evaluate their performance in both research and clinical contexts and discuss potential future directions for investigation, use of multiple imaging modalities in artificial intelligence algorithms, and challenges in the application of artificial intelligence in retinal pathologies.