Although Wnt signaling is known to mediate multiple biological and pathological processes, its association with diabetic retinopathy (DR) has not been established. Here we show that retinal levels and nuclear translocation of -catenin, a key effector in the canonical Wnt pathway, were increased in humans with DR and in three DR models. Retinal levels of lowdensity lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6, coreceptors of Wnts , were also elevated in the DR models. The high glucose-induced activation of -catenin was attenuated by aminoguanidine, suggesting that oxidative stress is a direct cause for the Wnt pathway activation in diabetes. Indeed, Dickkopf homolog 1, a specific inhibitor of the Wnt pathway, ameliorated retinal inflammation, vascular leakage, and retinal neovascularization in the DR models. Dickkopf homolog 1 also blocked the generation of reactive oxygen species induced by high glucose, suggesting that Wnt signaling contributes to the oxidative stress in diabetes. These observations indicate that the Wnt pathway plays a pathogenic role in DR and represents a novel therapeutic target. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the leading cause of blindness in the working age population, represents a common concern in types 1 and 2 of diabetes mellitus (DM). 1 Accumulating evidence suggests that DR is a chronic inflammatory disorder.2 Retinal inflammation is believed to play a causative role in vascular leakage, which can lead to diabetic macular edema, and in retinal neovascularization (NV). It has been shown that levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 are significantly higher in the vitreous from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy than in nondiabetic vitreous. 3,4 Increased ICAM-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and e-selectin levels were found in the serum from patients with diabetic microangiopathy. [5][6][7] In diabetic animal models, increased retinal ICAM-1 expression is believed to be responsible for leukocyte adhesion or leukostasis and increased vascular permeability. Leukostasis is believed to contribute to capillary nonperfusion and local ischemia, which subsequently induces the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). 8 -11 Increased VEGF levels are responsible for the retinal vascular leakage and retinal NV.12,13 Recent studies have indicated that oxidative stress, induced by hyperglycemia, contributes to retinal inflammation in diabetes.14,15 However, the pathogenic mechanisms by which diabetes and oxidative stress induce inflammation are not certain at the present time.Wnts are a group of secreted, cysteine-rich glycoproteins, which bind to a coreceptor complex of frizzled (Fz) receptors and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 or 6 (LRP5/6) and regulate expression of a number of target genes through an intracellular signaling pathway, namely the Wnt pathway. 16 In the absence of Wnt ligands, -catenin, a down-stream effector of the canonical Wnt pathway, is phosphorylated by a pro...