With the continuous advancement of technology, the field of retinal surgery is poised to witness an increasing array of innovations and breakthroughs. The innovation in retinal surgery plays a pivotal role in enhancing the success rate of operations, reducing the risk of complications, and improving patient prognosis and quality of life. This encompasses innovations in vitrectomy systems, the novel application of vitrectomy in treating other ocular diseases, advancements in retinal surgical techniques, technological and conceptual innovations, as well as multidisciplinary collaboration, all of which contribute to the ongoing development in the treatment of retinal diseases. Therefore, innovations in retinal surgery should receive significant attention from ophthalmologists specializing in retinal diseases with the best service to patients.
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a hereditary retinal vascular dysplasia. So far, 6 genes have been found to be associated with FEVR: Wnt receptor Frizzled Protein 4, Norrie's disease, co-receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5, tetraspanin 12, zinc finger protein 408, and kinesin family members 11 genes. Its clinical manifestations, pathological processes and genetic patterns are diverse, and it shows the relationship between gene polymorphism and clinical manifestation diversity. It is characterized by different symptoms between the same individual, the same family, and the same gene mutation; different clinical stages and gene mutation types of parents or unilateral genetic children; different clinical characteristics and gene mutation patterns of full-term and premature infant; combined with other eye disease and systemic diseases; double gene mutations and single gene mutations have different clinical manifestations and gene mutation characteristics. A comprehensive understanding of the different clinical manifestations and diverse genetics of FEVR can provide better guidance for the treatment of FEVR.
Neovascularization is a characteristic manifestation of a variety of retinal diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mainly regulates the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is the main receptor to mediate this effect. The activation of downstream signals requires the binding of VEGF and VEGFR2, followed by receptor dimerization and autophosphorylation. Blocking this process and inhibiting neovascularization is very attractive treatment ideas. Monoclonal antibodies and fusion protein drugs currently used in ophthalmology can bind free VEGF. In addition, there are also macromolecular antibodies binding VEGFR2 and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which is expected to further expand into the field of ophthalmology. Although anti-VEGFR2 therapy is a revolutionary method to inhibit neovascularization, there are no sufficient clinical evidences at present. In-depth understanding of the application status and progress of anti-VEGFR2 in the treatment of retinal neovascular diseases has important clinical significance.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic disorder of photoreceptor cell apoptosis and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell atrophy caused by gene mutation. The clinical manifestations are night blindness, peripheral visual field loss and progressive vision loss. RPE cell apoptosis plays an important role in the progression of RP, and exogenous implantation of RPE cells as an alternative therapy has shown certain efficacy in animal experiments and clinical trials. With the diversification of cell sources, the update of surgical techniques and the continuous emergence of biological materials, more possibilities and hopes are provided for cell therapy. To further promote the development of this field in the future, it is still necessary to strengthen the cooperation between medicine, bioengineering and other disciplines in the future to jointly promote the innovation and development of therapeutic methods. It is believed that RPE cell transplantation therapy will show a brighter prospect in the future
Neural stem cell is a kind of stem cells that can differentiate into neural and glial cells. While Müller cells, the main endogenous neural stem cell in retina,have the features to reentry into the cell cycle and differentiate into neural cells after retinal damage. Although it is highly effective for retinal Müller cell differentiation spontaneously after retinal injury in vertebrates, this feature is rigorous restricted in mammals. Recently, some transcription factors,such as Ascl1, Sox2, Lin28, Atoh7, are sufficient to drive quiescent Müller cells back in proliferation to generate new retinal neurons. Moreover, combining Ascl1 expression with a histone deacetylase inhibitor can bypass the limitation and increase the generation of new neurons in the adult retina. These regenerated neurons integrate the existing neuronal network and are able to respond to light, indicating that they can likely be used to restore vision. While these results are extremely promising, the regenerative response is still limited, likely because the proliferative capacity of mammalian Müller cells is low compared to their zebrafish counterparts. It is indeed necessary to identify new factors increasing the efficiency of the regenerative response.
The pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is complicated and has not yet been fully elucidated. To explore the pathogenesis of DR and the mechanism of drug action, proteomics through quantitative analysis techniques is very useful. It can analyzes differentially expressed proteins in the retina, vitreous fluid, aqueous humor, tears, and blood of DR patients and diabetic rats, and analyzes differentially expressed proteins after drug intervention. This paper is a review of the progress in proteomic research of DR in recent years.
Diabetes retinopathy (DR) is listed as one of the chronic diseases that should be focused on in the “14th Five-Year” National Eye Health Plan (2021-2025). Early screening is one of the effective measures to reduce blindness caused by DR. Establishing an efficient and practical community screening model is a powerful guarantee for completing early screening. The Ocular Fundus Diseases Group of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association has led the development of Expert consensus on community screening of diabetic retinopathy among DR community screening experts that is suitable for the current national situation, in order to guide and promote the further improvement of DR community screening work in China. This Expert Consensus provides detailed specifications on the current domestic trend of DR, the necessity of screening, the role of artificial intelligence grading, screening process, and quality control. This interpretation further emphasizes the importance of DR community screening, while emphasizing the responsibilities of different departments in the screening process. Finally, recommendations are provided for the sustainability of DR community screening. It is hoped that the screening rate of DR in China can be improved and blindness can be reduced by DR through Expert consensus on community screening of diabetic retinopathy and interpretation of the content.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) constitutes a major retinal vascular disorder leading to blindness in adults. Current therapeutic approaches for DR exhibit certain degrees of efficacy but are constrained by a spectrum of limitations. Hence, there is a pressing need to deeply investigate the underlying pathogenesis of DR and explore novel therapeutic targets. Ferroptosis, a distinctive form of programmed cell death, has emerged as a pertinent phenomenon in recent years. Notably, ferroptosis has been implicated in the progression of DR through mechanisms involving the induction of retinal oxidative stress, provocation of anomalous retinal vascular alterations, exacerbation of retinal neural damage, and elicitation of immune dysregulation. Thus, elucidating the mechanistic role of ferroptosis in DR holds the potential to establish a robust foundational rationale. This could potentially facilitate the clinical translation of ferroptosis inhibitors as promising agents for the prevention and treatment of DR, thereby forging novel avenues in the landscape of DR management.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes, which seriously threatens the vision of patients. The pathogenesis of DR Is complex and involves many pathophysiological processes. At present, the treatment methods for DR Mainly include panretinal laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy and vitreous cavity injection, etc. However, each treatment method has certain limitations. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the field of drug treatment of DR, especially in anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-oxidative stress damage drugs, neuroprotective agents, gene therapy and stem cell therapy. These drugs not only improve the effectiveness of treatment, but also expand the range of treatment options. In addition, by carrying DR Treatment drugs on carriers such as nanoparticles, hydrogels and photosensitive materials, continuous and efficient release of drugs in the eye is achieved, thereby extending the time interval of administration and reducing the need for frequent treatment of patients. In the future, based on biomarker detection technology, it is expected to promote the development of personalized and precise treatment, which can develop more accurate treatment plans for patients and improve the efficacy.
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most threatening complication of diabetic retinopathy that affects visual function, which is characterized by intractability and recurrent attacks. Currently, the clinical routine treatments for DME mainly include intravitreal injection, grid laser photocoagulation in the macular area, subthreshold micropulse laser, periocular corticosteroid injection, and vitrectomy. Although conventional treatments are effective for some patients, persistent, refractory, and recurrent DME remains a clinical challenge that needs to be urgently addressed. In recent years, clinical studies have found that certain combination therapies are superior to monotherapy, which can not only restore the anatomical structure of the macular area and effectively reduce macular edema but also improve visual function to some extent while reducing the number of treatments and the overall cost. This makes up for the shortcomings of single treatment modalities and is highly anticipated in the clinical setting. However, the application of combination therapy in clinical practice is relatively short, and its safety and long-term effectiveness need further exploration. Currently, new drugs, new formulations, and new therapeutic targets are still under research and development to address different mechanisms of DME occurrence and development, such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents designed to anchor repetitive sequence proteins with stronger inhibition of vascular leakage, multiple growth factor inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents, and stem cell therapy. With the continuous improvement of the combination application of existing drugs and treatments and the development of new drugs and treatment technologies, personalized treatment for DME will become possible.