The Diabetic Eye Disease: Mechanisms Underlying Pathophysiology and Therapies 2.0

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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