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The Diabetic Eye Disease: Mechanisms Underlying Pathophysiology and Therapies 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 13021

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Biomedical Sciences and Neurosurgery, Regenerative Medicine Institute Eye Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Interests: cornea; nanomedicine; wound healing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In July 2019, the International Conference on Eye Diseases, sponsored by the United Scientific Group, was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, we are pleased to present a compilation of articles representing scientific talks related to the conference topics including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, corneal diseases, the impact of genetics, and novel approaches to treatment modalities for ocular complications. Based on these reports, the focus of this issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences has been put on the various aspects of diabetic eye disease including mechanisms, animal models, diagnosis and treatment. The articles reflect various aspects of eye diseases and provide insight into molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets; interactions between genes, biochemical pathways, and genetic background; and their impacts on disease development and progression, as well as therapeutic interventions and clinical perspectives related to the disease processes. This includes both scientific research and clinical studies, which provide the basis for intellectual exchanges in understanding eye diseases.

The roles of genes involved in disrupting the retina, cornea, lens, and other parts of the eye together with compromised functions of cell organelles including the mitochondria and vascular basement membrane and cellular processes such as autophagy, ganglion cell death, occluding, and Wnt signaling in retinal angiogenesis, abnormalities of lysyl oxidase in diabetic retinopathy, and UPR signaling in bone marrow stem cells were some of the highlights of the scientific sessions at the conference. Clinical presentations focused on the importance of the genetic background, including outcomes governed by various genes and environmental factors in diabetic retinopathy, between diabetes and cornea, between endothelial progenitor cells and retinal vascular regeneration, soluble cytokine receptors in DME patients, VEGF and neuronal integrity in diabetic retinopathy. Presentations on the association of eye proteins with the cognition and management of diabetic tractional detachments received close attention as did talks on the significance of using broad-spectrum therapy for inherited retinal diseases and ocular neuromyotonia as a clinical neuro-ophthalmologic spectrum. The poster session attracted attention from all participants at the meeting. Overall, the conference was a great get-together of prominent scientists and clinicians with a common interest in improving the well-being of patients with eye disease, in particular, diabetic retinopathy.

Prof. Dr. Alexander V. Ljubimov
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • diabetes
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • cornea
  • glaucoma
  • diabetes therapy
  • growth factor
  • laser surgery
  • diabetic eye disease
  • molecular signaling
  • diabetic macular edema
  • neovascularization
  • tractional detachment
  • drugs
  • nanomedicine

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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22 pages, 21561 KiB  
Article
Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Upregulation of Neuroprotective Pathways in Retinitis Pigmentosa
by Christina B. Bielmeier, Saskia Roth, Sabrina I. Schmitt, Stefaniya K. Boneva, Anja Schlecht, Mario Vallon, Ernst R. Tamm, Süleyman Ergün, Andreas Neueder and Barbara M. Braunger
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(12), 6307; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126307 - 11 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3239
Abstract
Hereditary retinal degenerations like retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are among the leading causes of blindness in younger patients. To enable in vivo investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for photoreceptor cell death and to allow testing of therapeutic strategies that could prevent retinal [...] Read more.
Hereditary retinal degenerations like retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are among the leading causes of blindness in younger patients. To enable in vivo investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for photoreceptor cell death and to allow testing of therapeutic strategies that could prevent retinal degeneration, animal models have been created. In this study, we deeply characterized the transcriptional profile of mice carrying the transgene rhodopsin V20G/P23H/P27L (VPP), which is a model for autosomal dominant RP. We examined the degree of photoreceptor degeneration and studied the impact of the VPP transgene-induced retinal degeneration on the transcriptome level of the retina using next generation RNA sequencing (RNASeq) analyses followed by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). We furthermore identified cellular subpopulations responsible for some of the observed dysregulations using in situ hybridizations, immunofluorescence staining, and 3D reconstruction. Using RNASeq analysis, we identified 9256 dysregulated genes and six significantly associated gene modules in the subsequently performed WGCNA. Gene ontology enrichment showed, among others, dysregulation of genes involved in TGF-β regulated extracellular matrix organization, the (ocular) immune system/response, and cellular homeostasis. Moreover, heatmaps confirmed clustering of significantly dysregulated genes coding for components of the TGF-β, G-protein activated, and VEGF signaling pathway. 3D reconstructions of immunostained/in situ hybridized sections revealed retinal neurons and Müller cells as the major cellular population expressing representative components of these signaling pathways. The predominant effect of VPP-induced photoreceptor degeneration pointed towards induction of neuroinflammation and the upregulation of neuroprotective pathways like TGF-β, G-protein activated, and VEGF signaling. Thus, modulation of these processes and signaling pathways might represent new therapeutic options to delay the degeneration of photoreceptors in diseases like RP. Full article
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Review

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31 pages, 2741 KiB  
Review
Role of Oral Antioxidant Supplementation in the Current Management of Diabetic Retinopathy
by Enrique Antonio Alfonso-Muñoz, Raquel Burggraaf-Sánchez de las Matas, Jorge Mataix Boronat, Julio César Molina Martín and Carmen Desco
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(8), 4020; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084020 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8337
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been postulated as an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the main cause of avoidable blindness in working-aged people. This review addressed the current daily clinical practice of DR and the role of antioxidants in this practice. A systematic [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress has been postulated as an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the main cause of avoidable blindness in working-aged people. This review addressed the current daily clinical practice of DR and the role of antioxidants in this practice. A systematic review of the studies on antioxidant supplementation in DR patients was presented. Fifteen studies accomplished the inclusion criteria. The analysis of these studies concluded that antioxidant supplementation has a IIB level of recommendation in adult Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects without retinopathy or mild-to-moderate nonproliferative DR without diabetic macular oedema as a complementary therapy together with standard medical care. Full article
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