Oxidative–Inflammatory Crosstalk in Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Models, Mechanisms, and Modulators
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 41
Special Issue Editor
Interests: ophthalmology; medical engineering; retinal research; corneal and conjunctival diseases; extracellular vesicles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Chronic oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) constitute a self-reinforcing circuit that underlies numerous vision-threatening conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, uveitic sequelae, and heavy-metal toxicities. Reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired lipid turnover activate inflammasomes and cytokine networks, reshape cellular metabolism, and compromise the outer blood–retina barrier. Conversely, sustained inflammatory signaling further destabilizes redox homeostasis, driving angiogenesis and neuronal loss.
This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and short communications that elucidate the bidirectional links between oxidative and inflammatory pathways in RPE biology. Topics of interest include—but are not limited to—novel in vitro or in vivo models (e.g., pollutant or heavy-metal exposure, genetic manipulation, organoids), multi-omics profiling of redox–immune interactions, extracellular-vesicle-mediated signaling, imaging and metabolite-flux techniques, and therapeutic interventions ranging from small molecules and biologics to gene-editing and regenerative approaches. Submissions that bridge mechanistic discovery with translational or clinical insights are especially encouraged. Together, these contributions will advance our understanding of RPE-centered disease mechanisms and foster the development of targeted, vision-preserving therapies.
Dr. Min-Yen Hsu
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)
- oxidative stress
- inflammation
- immunometabolism
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- inflammasome
- IL-8/VEGF signaling
- heavy-metal toxicity
- extracellular vesicles
- antioxidant therapy
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