A Window to the Brain: From Retinal Cellular and Soluble Biomarkers Towards Neurodegeneration
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editors
Interests: retina; neurotrophins; in vitro/in vivo models; neurodegeneration; bioengeneering
Interests: neurodegenerative disorders; colorectal cancer; essential metals; Alzheimer’s disease; psychiatric disorders; copper; iron; zinc
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: neuromediators; ocular diseases; biomarkers; epigenetics; genetic variants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We announce the Special Issue of IJMS titled “Signaling Pathways in Retinal Function and Disorders,” focusing on biomolecular mechanisms that govern retinal physiology and contribute to diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and inherited retinal disorders. The retina, an accessible extension of the central nervous system, provides a window into brain health, with signaling pathways regulating photoreceptor function, synaptic transmission, neuronal survival and combined proteomics/transcriptomics/metallomics profiling. The dysregulation of these pathways underlies retinal diseases and may reflect early events in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. We welcome original research and reviews exploring pathway dynamics, biomarkers, therapeutic modulation, omics and imaging analyses, and AI-based screening approaches for advancing vision preservation strategies.
This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) invites original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications focusing on signaling mechanisms in retinal physiology and pathology. We especially welcome contributions that achieve the following:
- Elucidate shared cellular pathways between retinal and brain neurodegeneration, identifying biomolecular links of early decline;
- Investigate cellular mechanisms such as para-inflammation, inflammageing, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial tasks contributing to both retinal and brain dysfunction;
- Explore diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting retinal biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring even supported by AI.
Potential Topics
- Crosstalk between neuronal and glial cell pathways in neurodegenerating retina;
- Mitochondrial and oxidative signaling in retinal and neuronal death and survival;
- Glial signaling mechanisms in retinal and neurodegenerative disorders;
- Neurotransmission defects and neuroinflammation common to retinal and brain degeneration;
- Transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic profiles of diagnosis and/or prognosis of retinal diseases;
- Therapeutic targeting pathways for retinal and neural neuroprotection;
- Omics and systems biology approaches to identify convergent targets networks;
- Experimental and clinical studies on neurodegenerative in vitro and in vivo models for testing diagnostic tools for early protection;
- AI-based analysis of retinal and imaging markers common to vitreoretinal disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Bijorn Omar Balzamino
Dr. Rosanna Squitti
Dr. Alessandra Micera
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- retinal signaling
- oxidative stress
- retinal neurodegeneration
- biomarkers
- therapeutic targets
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