PUBLICATION
Evaluation of EB-203 as a potential treatment for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy using a zebrafish model
- Authors
- Lee, Y., Yang, J.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-260208-3
- Date
- 2026
- Source
- Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie 196: 119035119035 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- Apoptosis, Blood-retinal barrier, EB-203, IL-1β, Inflammatory cytokines, MMP9, NF-kB, Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, Retinal vessel diameter, Zebrafish model
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Capillary Permeability/drug effects
- Diabetic Retinopathy*/drug therapy
- Diabetic Retinopathy*/metabolism
- Diabetic Retinopathy*/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- NF-kappa B/metabolism
- Retina/drug effects
- Retina/metabolism
- Retina/pathology
- Retinal Vessels/drug effects
- Retinal Vessels/metabolism
- Retinal Vessels/pathology
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 41653905 Full text @ Biomed. Pharmacother.
Citation
Lee, Y., Yang, J. (2026) Evaluation of EB-203 as a potential treatment for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy using a zebrafish model. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 196:119035119035.
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of EB-203 using a zebrafish model that exhibits diabetic retinopathy like vascular alterations.
Methods To assess the toxicity of EB-203, embryos obtained from Tg(flk:EGFP) adult zebrafish were exposed to various concentrations of the compound (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL). To evaluate its efficacy against DR-like phenotypes, normally developed embryos at 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) were treated with EB-203 under hyperglycemic conditions. At 6 dpf, retinal tissues were isolated to measure retinal vessel diameter changes. Microarray analysis was performed to identify changes in DR-related gene expression following EB-203 treatment, and selected markers were validated using RT-PCR. Histological alterations in the retinal layers were analyzed through H&E staining, TUNEL assays, and immunofluorescence.
Results In the zebrafish model, EB-203 administration ameliorated retinal vessel dilation like phenotypes and improved vascular permeability like alterations. Moreover, EB-203 reduced expression of inflammatory markers in the retina by downregulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby alleviating NPDR like features in hyperglycemic larvae.
Conclusions EB-203 was found to reduce microvascular leakage changes, edema features, and inflammatory responses associated with NPDR-like phenotypes, suggesting its potential to limit progression toward PDR conditions. Overall, EB-203 demonstrated significant efficacy in improving NPDR like retinal pathology in zebrafish and holds promise as a potential therapeutic candidate for DR.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping