Early Retinal Neurodegeneration As Risk Factor, Biomarker and Pharmacological Target of Diabetic Retinopathy

Ophthalmological examination including imaging assessments (SD-OCT, Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography, a procedure to study and quantify possible retinal neurodegeneration and OCT-A, Optical coherence tomography angiography, a procedure to study and quantify possible retinal vascular abnormalities)

Confocal analysis of cornea: a procedure to study and quantify possible corneal nerve degeneration as a marker of involvement of diabetic neuropathy

Dynamic Vessel Analyzer (DVA), a device that measures the response of retinal arteries and veins to a standardized stimulus (flickering light) allowing direct quantification of the inflammatory status of the retinal vasculature

Collect and analyze tear samples to identify biomarkers in tears and at the endothelium of the ocular surface through impression conjunctival cytology and the quantitative/qualitative analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines

collection and analysis of blood samples to identify diabetic retinopathy biomarkers and early abnormalities of the vascular retinal system.