Emerging Vistas on Electrochemical Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy Biomarkers

Abstract Diabetes is a widely prevalent condition that is accompanied by additional metabolic dysfunctions thereby predisposing the individual to several other complications. One such complication that results in vision impairment is diabetic retinopathy (DR). Monitoring glucose levels alone is not sufficient for predicting the risk of DR in an individual. Though several markers have been identified for predicting the risk of DR, the diagnostic methods have remained confined to traditional spectroscopy and immunoassays that are expensive, time-consuming and in many cases, lack specificity. It is in this context, portable and rapid detection strategies assume significance with respect to clinical diagnosis. Electrochemical sensors offer several advantages of miniaturization, rapid response, and high specificity. These attributes when combined with the additional advantages of nanotechnology offer promise for the detection of DR biomarkers with high precision and speed. This review summarizes some of the major biomarkers of DR and the different types of electrochemical detection strategies designed for their quantification in past two decades.