The Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) established the efficacy of laser photocoagulation for high-risk PDR over three decades ago (3), but contemporary management has evolved toward combination therapies integrating intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents with targeted laser, demonstrating superior anatomical and functional outcomes in pivotal trials such as CLARITY and Protocol W (4, 5). Here, VEGFA is linked to diabetic retinopathy.