Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a progressive microangiopathy induced by long\|term hyperglycemia. The state of ischemia and hypoxia of retinal microvessels runs through the whole process of the occurrence and progression of DR. Integrin αVβ3 (ITG αVβ3), as an important cell adhesion molecule, the expression of itself and its ligand upregulate in hyperglycemia, and participate in various pathological stages of DR by promoting retinal microvascular permeability, neovascularization and retinal fiber membrane formation. ITG αVβ3 participates in DR through a variety of mechanisms, compared with the widely used anti-VEGF therapy, blocking the binding of ITG αVβ3 to its ligand can significantly improve retinal microvascular permeability and inhibit retinal neovascularization. In addition, ITG αVβ3 ligand contains the RGD sequence, made it has great potential in targeted therapy of DR.

Key words: integrin αVβ3, RGD sequence, diabetic retinopathy