Aging, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Ocular Diseases

A Special Issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1111

Editor


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Guest Editor
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Interests: cellular senescence; translational research; gene therapy; senotherapies; epigenome analysis; age related cataract (ARC) and glaucoma
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global burden of age-related ocular diseases continues to rise as populations worldwide live longer. Conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts remain leading causes of visual impairment and blindness, profoundly impacting quality of life and healthcare systems. While the clinical manifestations of these diseases are diverse, they share common underlying mechanisms that converge on three interconnected processes: aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Aging represents the primary risk factor for most ocular pathologies, yet the molecular and cellular pathways through which chronological age translates into tissue dysfunction remain incompletely understood. Within the eye, post-mitotic tissues accumulate oxidative damage over decades, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, and chronic low-grade inflammation—a phenomenon increasingly recognized as inflammaging. The delicate balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals determines whether the ocular microenvironment maintains homeostasis or progresses toward degeneration.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research exploring the complex interplay between aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspective pieces that investigate molecular mechanisms, identify novel biomarkers, or evaluate therapeutic interventions targeting these pathways. By deepening our understanding of how these fundamental processes drive ocular pathology, we hope to illuminate new strategies for prevention, early detection, and treatment that will preserve vision for aging populations worldwide.

Dr. Bhavana Chhunchha
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aging
  • oxidative stress
  • inflammation
  • ocular diseases

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 1288 KB  
Review
The Interplay Between Antioxidant and Chaperone Functions of α-Crystallin
by Krishna Sharma, Puttur Santhoshkumar and Tenzin Tender
Cells 2026, 15(10), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15100937 - 20 May 2026
Viewed by 732
Abstract
α-Crystallin, the predominant protein of the eye lens, possesses molecular chaperone activity and antioxidative properties, both of which are essential for maintaining lens transparency. Its chaperone function prevents the formation of light-scattering protein aggregates, while its antioxidative activity mitigates oxidative stress through both [...] Read more.
α-Crystallin, the predominant protein of the eye lens, possesses molecular chaperone activity and antioxidative properties, both of which are essential for maintaining lens transparency. Its chaperone function prevents the formation of light-scattering protein aggregates, while its antioxidative activity mitigates oxidative stress through both direct and indirect mechanisms. However, with aging, α-crystallin undergoes cumulative post-translational modifications and oxidative damage, leading to protein crosslinking and a decline in chaperone efficacy. Notably, α-crystallin exhibits free radical-scavenging activity comparable to that of serum albumin, a well-characterized antioxidant protein. In addition, its ability to bind redox-active metal ions and convert them into redox-inactive forms significantly reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in vivo. α-Crystallin also interacts with key proteins and signaling pathways involved in oxidative stress responses, further enhancing its multifunctional protective role. This review summarizes current evidence on the antioxidative properties of α-crystallin and their relationship to its chaperone function, highlighting its importance in lens homeostasis and age-related cataract formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Ocular Diseases)
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