About this Research Topic
Novel Therapeutic Approaches for the Treatment of Ocular Disease, Volume II
Ocular neurodegenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are leading causes of irreversible blindness in the working age population in developed countries. Due to aging societies, these diseases represent a growing, worldwide public health burden. Specific inflammatory anterior eye disease, such as keratitis and uveitis, might potentially lead to blindness and should be investigated. Besides inflammation, other key factors in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of eye diseases include neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, and neovascularization. In view of the impact that eye diseases have in terms of quality of life and socio-economic costs, further studies need to be conducted to decipher the mechanisms of ocular function and dysfunction. These insights will aid in development of novel therapeutic approaches to eye disease and dysfunction.
The main goal of the present Research topic is to attract contributions with “state-of-the art” findings related to ocular disease pathophysiology and therapeutics. This will set the stage as to where the field stands at the present and what the vision for future developments in therapeutics will be. In the past decades, major research efforts have been given to the development of new treatments of eye disease, like age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and corneal diseases, but they still remain the most common causes of blindness worldwide. Further investigations based on the pathogenesis of each ocular disease and the cell types involved are essential to obtain a better understanding of the biology of the disease and could lead to the discovery and development of promising new treatment approaches with translational importance.
We expect to receive both Original Research and Review articles with a focus on the mechanisms involved in a) the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of ocular disease and b) the pharmacological profile of novel therapeutics. Experimental, translational, and clinical investigations are welcome.
We welcome submissions that are focused on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• The involvement of macro- and microglia in the pathophysiology of ocular disease;
• Pathophysiology and new therapeutics of anterior eye diseases;
• Neovascularization, vascular complications of eye diseases;
• New pharmacological treatments for retinal diseases, like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR);
• Neurodegeneration and novel treatment approaches in glaucoma;
• Novel treatment approaches for ocular inflammatory diseases;
• Nutraceuticals as possible treatments for eye diseases.
Keywords: neurodegeneration, inflammation, neovascularization, neuroprotection, therapeutics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.