Oxidative stress-regulatory role of miR-10b-5p in the diabetic human cornea revealed through integrated multi-omics analysis

The corneal epithelium is maintained by limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) and are largely responsible for corneal optical transparency and protection by continuous population of corneal epithelial cells. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been shown to affect all structures of the eye including the cornea which can result in delayed wound healing and potential vision loss. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding oligonucleotides that regulate various cellular functions, including oxidative stress response, by repressing translation. miR-10b-5p was previously identified to be upregulated in diabetic vs. non-diabetic limbal cells and our purpose was to understand the role of miR-10b-5p in human limbal epithelial cells in normal and pathological conditions such as diabetes mellitus. It was hypothesized that miR-10b-5p influences corneal epithelial homeostasis by modulating antioxidant defenses and wound healing processes. Through integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we identified GCLM and LANCL1 as key miR-10b-5p targets, revealing its profound impact on glutathione metabolism, sulfur compound biosynthesis processes, and antioxidant defenses. Our finding suggests that miR-10b suppression disrupts redox balance which potentially leads to heightened oxidative stress, impaired wound healing and increased cellular vulnerability in diabetic corneas. Further research into miR-10b inhibitors or gene modulation strategies may pave the way for novel treatments aimed at mitigating oxidative stress-related corneal dysfunction, particularly in diabetes-induced ocular diseases.