Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.0
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Advances in Retinal Diseases: 3rd Edition
ijms-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Retinal Diseases: 3rd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 3146

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Minzhong Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195 USA
2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University Hospitals Eye Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Interests: genesis and molecular mechanism of therapies in ocular diseases; clinical trials of different therapies in ocular disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging, drug side effects, immune system disorders, and genetic mutations affect the cells and tissues of the retina and optic nerve, often causing poor vision and leading to lower quality of life. For the diagnosis and treatment of these ocular disorders, the mechanisms underlying their development should be further investigated.

In this Special Issue, we welcome researchers and clinicians to contribute original research and review articles describing their in vitro and/or in vivo data, as well as clinical studies, addressing the mechanisms by which genetic factors and protein molecules regulate ocular disorders, as well as novel diagnostic technologies and therapies for these diseases. The following topics are particularly welcome:

  • The potential effect of genetic mutations, aging, and drug side effects on eye diseases, including studies on novel mutations/biomarkers and signaling pathways.
  • Novel technologies, such as electrophysiology, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, artificial intelligence, clinical molecular genetic tests, etc., for the diagnosis and monitoring of ocular disease via functional, morphological, and molecular characterization.
  • Therapeutic interventions for eye diseases, including drug, surgical, stem cell, cell, and gene therapies.

Key points: Our journal, IJMS, provides an advanced forum for molecular studies in biology and chemistry, with a strong emphasis on molecular biology and molecular medicine. Thus, purely clinical studies are not suitable for our journal. However, clinical or pure model submissions with biomolecular experiments are welcomed.

Dr. Minzhong Yu
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • retina
  • optic nerve
  • ocular disorder
  • retinal disease
  • genetic mutation
  • aging
  • drug side effects
  • novel mutations/biomarkers
  • signaling pathways
  • spectral domain optical coherence tomography
  • stem cells
  • gene therapy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 7424 KB  
Article
Stage-Associated Cellular and Molecular Signatures in Diabetic Retinopathy Identified Through Integrated Bulk and Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis
by Ying Li, Lian Liu, Yuan Zhang, Lingyi Ouyang, Xiaomin Chen, Jingqiu Huang and Min Ke
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(6), 2775; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27062775 - 19 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 532
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and can lead to severe visual impairment. Based on disease severity, DR is classified into no clinically apparent diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). [...] Read more.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and can lead to severe visual impairment. Based on disease severity, DR is classified into no clinically apparent diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Although nearly all retinal cell types are involved in DR progression, the dominant cell populations and their pathophysiological changes at each stage remain unclear. By integrating bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data from human and mouse retinas, this study revealed the following: (1) In the NDR stage, photoreceptors exhibit significant changes in ribosomal pathways. (2) In the NPDR stage, endothelial cells and pericytes show marked transcriptional alterations, accompanied by enhanced LAMININ signaling in cell-cell communication. (3) At the PDR stage, neural and glial cells are extensively involved in disease progression, with notable changes in ANGPTL signaling. Additionally, this study observed DR-specific subtypes of endothelial cells and pericytes and potentially identifies gene signatures in macroglia cells that correlate with disease duration. The altered expression of several key genes in early diabetic retina was confirmed by qPCR. These findings may offer a comprehensive view of the cellular and molecular landscape underlying DR and may suggest potential targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Retinal Diseases: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 736 KB  
Review
Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Ocular Disease: Mechanisms, Evidence and Therapeutic Perspectives
by Xiaoming Gong and Faruk H. Örge
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(3), 1432; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031432 - 31 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1309
Abstract
Ocular diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), remain major global causes of irreversible vision loss. Despite advances in clinical management, current therapies insufficiently address the shared metabolic, inflammatory, vascular, and neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying these conditions. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor [...] Read more.
Ocular diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), remain major global causes of irreversible vision loss. Despite advances in clinical management, current therapies insufficiently address the shared metabolic, inflammatory, vascular, and neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying these conditions. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), widely used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, have emerged as multi-target candidates for ocular therapeutics due to their pleiotropic anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasculoprotective, and neuroprotective properties. Preclinical studies consistently demonstrate that GLP-1RAs preserve blood–retina barrier integrity, suppress pathological angiogenesis, mitigate oxidative and inflammatory stress, and protect retinal neurons from degeneration. Complementary clinical and real-world evidence shows a robust and reproducible reduction in glaucoma risk among GLP-1RA users across diabetic and non-diabetic populations. By contrast, findings for DR and AMD are more heterogeneous and appear context-dependent, with potential benefits most evident in early or non-exudative disease stages. Emerging safety considerations—including reports of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and early DR worsening in the setting of rapid glycemic improvement—highlight the need for careful interpretation, individualized risk assessment, and appropriate ophthalmic monitoring. This review synthesizes molecular mechanisms, experimental data, clinical and pharmacoepidemiologic evidence, and safety signals to critically evaluate the therapeutic potential of GLP-1RAs in ocular disease. We also outline key translational challenges, including the need for ocular-targeted delivery strategies, prospective ophthalmology-specific trials, and precision-medicine approaches to determine when and how GLP-1RAs can be safely advanced as disease-modifying treatments in ophthalmology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Retinal Diseases: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 317 KB  
Review
Therapeutic Outcomes of Anti-VEGF Agents Versus Corticosteroids in Diabetic Macular Edema: A Comparative Review
by Saranya Sanaka and Minzhong Yu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(3), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031142 - 23 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1025
Abstract
This structured narrative review compared the efficacy, durability, and safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents and intravitreal corticosteroids for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), with the aim of identifying patient- and disease-specific factors to guide individualize therapy. A comprehensive [...] Read more.
This structured narrative review compared the efficacy, durability, and safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents and intravitreal corticosteroids for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), with the aim of identifying patient- and disease-specific factors to guide individualize therapy. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted for studies published between January 2009 and November 2025, including randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and large observational cohorts with at least six months of follow-up. Visual acuity, anatomical outcomes, treatment burden, durability, and safety were extracted, and evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE framework. Eleven studies encompassing 1341 eyes were included. Anti-VEGF therapy consistently produced greater improvements in best-corrected visual acuity, particularly in treatment-naïve eyes and in patients with worse baseline vision, whereas corticosteroids achieved larger reductions in central macular thickness and significantly reduced injection burden because of longer durability. However, corticosteroid therapy was associated with higher rates of intraocular pressure elevation and cataract progression. In pseudophakic patients and in chronic or refractory DME, functional and anatomical outcomes were generally comparable between the two therapeutic classes. Combination therapy resulted in the greatest anatomical improvement but at the cost of increased ocular adverse events. Overall, anti-VEGF agents remain the preferred first-line treatment for most patients with DME owing to superior visual outcomes and a more favorable safety profile, while corticosteroids represent valuable alternatives in pseudophakic eyes, chronic or anti-VEGF–refractory DME, and cases with prominent inflammatory features, provided that careful monitoring for ocular adverse events is maintained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Retinal Diseases: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop