According to the World Health Organization, visual impairments affect over 2.2 billion people around the world. The National Eye Institute projects that vision loss will affect about 4 million Americans by the year 2050. Developmental or disease-related visual deficits can have significant negative impacts on an individual’s quality of life. In addition, vision impairments can have negative economic consequences because of the loss of productivity.
From development through aging, ocular function is regulated by multiple cellular processes and by intercellular communication. Both vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms are popularly utilized to elucidate signaling cascades that instruct the development and maturation of ocular structures. These signaling pathways are not only crucial in normal functioning of the eye, but are frequently also involved in the etiology of ocular pathologies. Thus the mechanisms that underlie development and disease go hand in hand to govern the normal functioning of the eye. The goal of this research topic is to showcase new advances in the field of ocular development and diseases.
We are interested in original research articles, brief research reports, methods and reviews that describe the roles of signaling cascades and cellular processes in ocular development or disease. Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Signaling pathways in ocular development
• Photoreceptor development and function
• Function and morphology of the eye
• Molecular markers and genetic basis of ocular disease
• Disease models of retinopathies in vertebrate and invertebrates
• Mechanisms of age-related decline in ocular function
• Signaling in ocular disease
• Disease models of anterior segment diseases in vertebrates and invertebrates
According to the World Health Organization, visual impairments affect over 2.2 billion people around the world. The National Eye Institute projects that vision loss will affect about 4 million Americans by the year 2050. Developmental or disease-related visual deficits can have significant negative impacts on an individual’s quality of life. In addition, vision impairments can have negative economic consequences because of the loss of productivity.
From development through aging, ocular function is regulated by multiple cellular processes and by intercellular communication. Both vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms are popularly utilized to elucidate signaling cascades that instruct the development and maturation of ocular structures. These signaling pathways are not only crucial in normal functioning of the eye, but are frequently also involved in the etiology of ocular pathologies. Thus the mechanisms that underlie development and disease go hand in hand to govern the normal functioning of the eye. The goal of this research topic is to showcase new advances in the field of ocular development and diseases.
We are interested in original research articles, brief research reports, methods and reviews that describe the roles of signaling cascades and cellular processes in ocular development or disease. Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Signaling pathways in ocular development
• Photoreceptor development and function
• Function and morphology of the eye
• Molecular markers and genetic basis of ocular disease
• Disease models of retinopathies in vertebrate and invertebrates
• Mechanisms of age-related decline in ocular function
• Signaling in ocular disease
• Disease models of anterior segment diseases in vertebrates and invertebrates