About this Research Topic
Fibrosis is the result of wound repair processes in chronic wounds. It begins with transformation of local epithelial cells (EMT) or migration of fibrotic cells (fibrocytes and fibroblasts). These cells eventually over-proliferate, leading to persistent damage and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix.
A relatively common benign over-proliferative disorder of the ocular surface whose molecular mechanisms are not fully understood is known as pterygium. Although its association with UV exposure has been established, the existence of genetic factors remains uncertain.
Finally, a range of neoplastic and pre-neoplastic ocular surface diseases (ocular surface squamous neoplasia, OSSN) arising from the epithelia, as well as other rare tumors originating from other cellular types resident in the ocular surface (e.g. melanocytic and fibrous) are all characterized by over-proliferative neoplastic lesions.
These conditions, despite displaying varying degrees of seriousness and involving numerous cell types, exhibit shared characteristics: EMT occurs in both fibrosis and cancer. Equally, the proliferation of fibroblast and the deposition of ECM are significant factors in the formation of both fibrosis and the tumor microenvironment. Uncontrolled epithelial over-proliferation is instead a mechanism common to both pterygium and malignancies of the ocular surface. Distinctive and common underlying cellular events, environmental and genetic factors, as well as biochemical and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the development of divergent pathologies, are still largely uninvestigated. The current Research Topic aims to collect studies that reveal novel mechanisms involved in these pathologies or propose strategies to address them. Brief Research Report, Clinical Trial, Mini Review, Original Research, Practice Reviews, Review and Systematic Review articles that focus on the distinctive and common features of these conditions are of particular interest.
This Research Topic aims to gather articles about proliferative alterations of the eye surface, focusing on new pathological mechanisms from an epidemiological, genetic, biochemical, and molecular perspective. Additionally, we aim to include emerging prevention and treatment strategies. We will consider articles that focus on pterygium, pinguecula, fibrosis, and EMT caused by corneal scarring at the epithelial and stromal levels, as well as corneal endothelium alteration, eye surface squamous neoplasia, and other eye surface cancers. Several questions regarding these ocular diseases remain unresolved, and more studies are needed to gain a better understanding and develop innovative and personalized therapies.
Keywords: Proliferation, Epithelia, Cancer, Fibrosis, Eye Surface, Cornea, Conjunctiva, Pterygium
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