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Biomolecules
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Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases: From Cellular and Molecular Biology...
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Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases: From Cellular and Molecular Biology to Therapeutic Strategies

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1805

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anat Galor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Interests: dry eye disease; dry eye; aqueous tear deficiency; evaporative deficiency; ocu-lar surface inflammation; tear osmolarity; epidemiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pragnya Rao Donthineni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Interests: ocular surface diseases; dry eye disease; ocular pain and allergy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite submissions for a Special Issue dedicated to exploring the full spectrum of ocular surface and corneal diseases, with a focus on bridging fundamental science and clinical innovation. This issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research that enhances our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying corneal and ocular surface pathologies, and how these insights inform novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and translational studies addressing topics including—but not limited to—corneal immunology, wound healing, dry eye disease, limbal stem cell biology, corneal nerve regeneration, and biomaterial-based therapies. Studies employing innovative models, advanced imaging, and omics technologies are particularly encouraged.

Our goal is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and accelerate the translation of bench discoveries into bedside interventions that improve patient outcomes. This Special Issue provides a platform for both emerging and established investigators to share their latest findings and perspectives.

Dr. Anat Galor
Dr. Pragnya Rao Donthineni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dry eye disease
  • dry eye
  • aqueous tear deficiency
  • evaporative deficiency
  • ocular surface inflammation
  • tear osmolarity
  • epidemiology
  • limbal stem cell deficiency
  • neuropathic ocular pain
  • neurotrophic keratitis

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 354 KB  
Article
Investigating the Eye as a Biomarker of Gulf War Illness: Sphingolipid and Eicosanoid Composition in Tears and Plasma
by Laura Beatriz Paule Jimenez, Amanda Prislovsky, Loralei Ann Parchejo, Kimberly Cabrera, Andrew J. Nafziger, Daniel J. Stephenson, Charles E. Chalfant, Kristina Aenlle, Nancy Klimas, Fei Tang, Nawajes Mandal and Anat Galor
Biomolecules 2025, 15(12), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15121716 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 771
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom condition affecting veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War, with ocular discomfort increasingly recognized among its manifestations. This pilot study evaluated whether lipid alterations in tears and plasma could serve as potential biomarkers of GWI. Participants [...] Read more.
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom condition affecting veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War, with ocular discomfort increasingly recognized among its manifestations. This pilot study evaluated whether lipid alterations in tears and plasma could serve as potential biomarkers of GWI. Participants included Gulf War-era veterans seen in the Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital eye clinic from 2018–2022. Cases met GWI criteria, while controls were non-deployed, age- and gender-matched veterans without GWI. Participants completed systemic and ocular symptom questionnaires, and lipidomic profiling of tears and plasma quantified sphingolipids and eicosanoids. Compared to controls (n = 21), GWI cases (n = 19) reported greater ocular symptom burden, while ocular signs were similar between groups. Lipidomic analyses revealed increased tear eicosanoids ((±)14(15)-EET and (±)8(9)-EET), elevated plasma sphingomyelins (SM C16:0 DH, SM C20:0, SM C22:0), and reduced plasma monohexosylceramide (MHC C16:0) and sphingomyelin (SM C14:0) in cases. Logistic regression and random forest models identified plasma SM C16:0 DH and SM C20:0 as top predictors distinguishing GWI cases from controls, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89. These findings suggest lipid dysregulation in ocular and systemic compartments and support further investigation of tears as a minimally invasive source for biomarker discovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases: From Cellular and Molecular Biology to Therapeutic Strategies)
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Review

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27 pages, 1501 KB  
Review
Macrophage Extracellular Vesicles: Therapeutic Strategies for Corneal Fibrosis in Rare Diseases
by Haiming Li, Anne-Sophie Loewinger, Danial Roshandel, Yuan Fang, Jingjing You, Mark Daniell and Gink N. Yang
Biomolecules 2026, 16(3), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16030346 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Corneal scarring (fibrosis) is a blinding condition affecting millions of sufferers worldwide. It is not only in common ocular injuries but also in genetically inherited rare diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB), keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome and aniridia. In rare diseases like EB or [...] Read more.
Corneal scarring (fibrosis) is a blinding condition affecting millions of sufferers worldwide. It is not only in common ocular injuries but also in genetically inherited rare diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB), keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome and aniridia. In rare diseases like EB or KID syndrome, corneal fibrosis arises from chronic inflammation, structural instability and neuro-immune dysfunction driven by genetic mutations. Current therapies are not effective in addressing the needs of affected individuals due to limited efficacy nor the considerable side effects of treatment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from various cell types such as mesenchymal stem cells not only possess high biocompatibility but have shown promising results in limiting corneal fibrosis. Rather than targeting a single molecular signaling pathway, EVs which contain regulatory RNAs and proteins are hypothesized to target multiple pathways synergistically. Macrophage-derived EVs (Mac-EVs) with an immunomodulatory nature may offer a promising therapeutic effect for rare diseases. Various EV delivery platforms have been proposed in preclinical studies. However, not all of these delivery techniques are appropriate for the cornea in rare diseases. In this review, we delineate recent advances in understanding corneal fibrosis from a rare disease point of view, including the impact on corneal immune cells and nerves. We then provide critical considerations of therapeutic development for corneal fibrosis in rare diseases. Furthermore, we used this knowledge to comprehensively consider the various EVs, especially Mac-EVs, synthesis methods and delivery techniques. Ultimately, this review aims to enable biomolecule researchers to develop EV-based therapies that not only exert anti-fibrotic effects but also address clinical compatibility for corneal fibrosis in rare diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases: From Cellular and Molecular Biology to Therapeutic Strategies)
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