To mitigate the impact of dysregulated glutamate and Ca2+ signaling in diabetic retinopathy, novel therapeutic targets might include the mitochondrial membrane lipid cardiolipin, which is linked to apoptosis cascades, and antioxidant factors such as lipoic acid, carotenoids, and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), which plays a crucial protective role against oxidative stress [178,179,180,181,182]. Here, NFE2L2 is linked to diabetic retinopathy.