Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes and remains a main cause of blindness among working-age individuals in developed countries. The concept of DR as a microvascular disease has evolved into that of a more complex diabetic complication in which neurodegeneration and inflammation play a significant role. Apart from being a devastating complication of diabetes, DR is a sentinel of other chronic diabetic complications.

This special issue welcomes the submission of original research articles focusing on new mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of early stages of DR, as well as new methods of screening and diagnostic imaging. Contributions highlighting a link between DR and other diabetic complications as well as papers showing new data regarding novel therapeutic strategies are highly encouraged. Finally, comprehensive reviews on these items will also be welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• The role of neurodegeneration and the neurovascular unit in the pathogenesis of DR
• Inflammation and oxidative stress: new perspectives in the development of DR
• New imaging and deep learning techniques for the screening and diagnosis of DR
• Updated methods for in vivo metabolic assessment of the diabetic retina
• The relationship between DR and other diabetic complications
• DR as a window to the brain: the role of retinal assessment for identifying diabetic patients at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases
• New treatments of DR based on neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, or antioxidative stress
• Diabetic medication and its potential effect on DR