Ferroptosis in Müller cells under hyperglycemia: mechanisms and therapeutic implications for diabetic retinopathy-associated optic neuroinflammation.

BACKGROUND

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), traditionally considered a microvascular complication, is now increasingly recognized as a neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorder. Among retinal glial cells, Müller cells are particularly susceptible to hyperglycemia-induced stress, playing a pivotal role in the progression of DR.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to systematically summarize the mechanisms by which high glucose induces ferroptosis in Müller cells and to explore the implications of ferroptotic damage for retinal neuroinflammation and blood-retinal barrier dysfunction in DR.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted focusing on recent experimental and translational studies related to ferroptosis pathways in diabetic retinal environments, particularly involving Müller cell pathology.

RESULTS

Hyperglycemia promotes Müller cell ferroptosis via three major axes: 1. Iron metabolism dysregulation, including TfR1/DMT1 upregulation and autophagic degradation of ferritin (ferritinophagy); 2. Enhanced lipid peroxidation, driven by ACSL4 and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity; 3. Antioxidant system impairment, notably via suppression of the system Xc⁻/GPX4 axis. Ferroptosis in Müller cells contributes to neuroinflammation through the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), activation of retinal microglia, and disruption of the blood-retinal barrier.

CONCLUSION

Ferroptosis is a critical and previously underappreciated mechanism linking metabolic stress to neuroinflammation in DR. Targeting ferroptosis-via iron chelation, GPX4 restoration, or activation of the Nrf2 pathway-represents a promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic patients.