Nanotechnological strategies for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy

One of the most severe complications of diabetes mellitus is diabetic retinopathy, considered the main cause of blindness in working age and without curative treatment. The current treatments are with little success, because many patients do not respond to them, there is low adherence to therapy, and high cost. The ocular anatomy and physiology, considering the different barriers and efflux mechanisms of xenobiotics, are one of the most challenging for the therapy of the neovascularization in the posterior ocular segment, associated with diabetic retinopathy. This chapter discusses current, emerging, and potential pharmacological strategies for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, focusing on recent developments based on nanocarriers, which challenge conventional therapy.