Protective treatments and their target retinal ganglion cells in diabetic retinopathy

•The possible mechanism of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury in diabetic retinopathy (DR).•The protective treatments and their targets for treatment of RGC injury in DR.•Analysing the effect of some drugs on protection of RGCs in DR.•Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase1 as a target to protect RCGs in patients with DR.•Photobiomodulation as an adjunctive therapy for protection of RGCs in DR.