Emerging Issues in Retinal Degeneration

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 838

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Interests: neuroretina pathologies; ocular oncology; purinergic signaling; mitochondrial dynamics in retina

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Retinal degeneration includes a spectrum of progressive eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and diabetic retinopathy, all of which can result in significant vision loss or blindness. As the global population ages and diabetes becomes more prevalent, these conditions are emerging as critical public health challenges. This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements and addressing new challenges in the study of retinal degeneration.

We encourage researchers and clinicians to submit original research papers, reviews and case reports that delve into innovative diagnostic techniques, cutting-edge therapeutic strategies and the fundamental molecular pathways involved in retinal degeneration. The areas of interest encompass gene therapy, stem cell therapy, retinal implants and new pharmacological treatments. We also welcome contributions that examine the effects of lifestyle and environmental factors on disease progression, the identification of predictive biomarkers and enhancements in imaging technology.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present a thorough overview of contemporary trends and future directions in retinal degeneration research. By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and the exchange of knowledge, we strive to enhance our understanding and treatment of these debilitating diseases, thereby improving the outcomes and quality of life for patients.

Dr. Ponarulselvam Sekar
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • retinal degeneration
  • age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
  • retinitis pigmentosa (RP)
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • gene therapy
  • stem cell therapy
  • retinal implants
  • pharmacological treatments
  • diagnostic methods
  • molecular mechanisms
  • predictive biomarkers
  • imaging technologies
  • signaling pathways
  • oxidative stress
  • neuroprotection

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 8206 KiB  
Article
Fundus Image Deep Learning Study to Explore the Association of Retinal Morphology with Age-Related Macular Degeneration Polygenic Risk Score
by Adam Sendecki, Daniel Ledwoń, Aleksandra Tuszy, Julia Nycz, Anna Wąsowska, Anna Boguszewska-Chachulska, Andrzej W. Mitas, Edward Wylęgała and Sławomir Teper
Biomedicines 2024, 12(9), 2092; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12092092 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 665
Abstract
Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex eye disorder with an environmental and genetic origin, affecting millions worldwide. The study aims to explore the association between retinal morphology and the polygenic risk score (PRS) for AMD using fundus images and deep learning [...] Read more.
Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex eye disorder with an environmental and genetic origin, affecting millions worldwide. The study aims to explore the association between retinal morphology and the polygenic risk score (PRS) for AMD using fundus images and deep learning techniques. Methods: The study used and pre-processed 23,654 fundus images from 332 subjects (235 patients with AMD and 97 controls), ultimately selecting 558 high-quality images for analysis. The fine-tuned DenseNet121 deep learning model was employed to estimate PRS from single fundus images. After training, deep features were extracted, fused, and used in machine learning regression models to estimate PRS for each subject. The Grad-CAM technique was applied to examine the relationship between areas of increased model activity and the retina’s morphological features specific to AMD. Results: Using the hybrid approach improved the results obtained by DenseNet121 in 5-fold cross-validation. The final evaluation metrics for all predictions from the best model from each fold are MAE = 0.74, MSE = 0.85, RMSE = 0.92, R2 = 0.18, MAPE = 2.41. Grad-CAM heatmap evaluation showed that the model decisions rely on lesion area, focusing mostly on the presence of drusen. The proposed approach was also shown to be sensitive to artifacts present in the image. Conclusions: The findings indicate an association between fundus images and AMD PRS, suggesting that deep learning models may effectively estimate genetic risk for AMD from retinal images, potentially aiding in early detection and personalized treatment strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Issues in Retinal Degeneration)
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