Diabetic retinopathy could be helped by antibiotic

A new study published in medical journal diabetes suggests that an antibiotic known as minocycline may affect the development of visual problems amongst diabetics. The experiments, so far conducted with rats, used minocycline in their research.
The study was conducted at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and carries important implications for human treatment. According to one expert at the helm of the study, minocycline was “a strong candidate for further consideration as a therapeutic drug in reducing the retinal complications of diabetes.”
When diabetes has been present in the body for some time, retinal complications known as diabetic retinopathy may occur. If left untreated then an overall result can be diminished vision and even blindness .
The retina may become inflamed by immune cells known as microglia, and minocycline serves to stem this inflammation. The study team concluded that: “we believe compounds, like minocycline, which can affect microglial activation may represent an important therapeutic target for this disease.”