AQP4 and retinal edema: Interestingly, these changes in MAM protein levels paralleled current research that explores the implications of these genes in DR: increased levels of LGALS3 in Type 1 diabetes may exacerbate neuroinflammation in the retina and optic nerve as well as disrupt the blood-retinal barrier [49,51]; increased AQP4 has been associated with retinal edema in diabetic rats while decreased levels have neuroprotective effects in ischemia [52,53,54]; and retinal alpha- and beta-crystallins were highly expressed in human diabetic retina [55,56].