Diabetic retinopathy (DR),a chronic microvascular retinal disorder leading to retinal nonperfusion and ischemia,is one of the leading causes of blindness among individuals of working age.Inflammation and neovascularization play important roles in the development of DR,especially proliferative DR (PDR).Therapies with Chinese medicines (CMs) that improve microcirculation complementary to conventional treatments increase the chances of delaying PDR development and improving visual acuity in diabetes patients.This review aimed to introduce promising CMs targeting DR patients in clinical practice,together with their underlying molecular mechanisms.