BDNF and diabetic retinopathy: The authors proposed that NEAT1 might contribute to ASD pathogenesis via the miR-497/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway, similarly to what has been observed in diabetic retinopathy; this pathological condition is characterized by NEAT1 downregulation, which, in turn, decreases BDNF expression through the upregulation of miR-497 and leads to the death of Muller cells [75].