Eye and Brain journal publishes Retinopathy of Prematurity thematic series

Despite advances in neonatal care and the ability to improve the survival of ever younger premature infants, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Dove Medical Press journal, Eye and Brain, has published a special thematic series on ROP.

 

The series presents new approaches in the prevention and management of the disease, and is a valuable resource for clinicians and basic scientists interested in ROP and related diseases. It features thirteen articles by eminent vision scientists in the field of ROP with topics ranging from basic mechanisms, signaling pathways and animal models to clinical manifestation, screening, and current treatments in the US and abroad.

 

This ROP thematic series is guest-edited by Dr Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Pediatric Retina at the Moran Eye Center of the University of Utah. Hartnett has been in the field for over 20 years. She said, “This is a really exciting time for understanding retinopathy of prematurity. The thematic series covers epidemiology, clinical trials, and perspectives.

 

“Research in ROP has come a long way since the first description of ‘retrolental fibroplasia’ in 1942. We now know that ROP is complex in that it is influenced not only by genetic predisposition, but also epigenetic regulation and environmental risks. It is strongly associated with extreme degrees of prematurity, and the ‘phenotype’ of ROP depends on resources available to support premature infants with adequate nutrition and regulation of oxygen. New studies also suggest that what is seen in the preterm infant retina may portend later neurodevelopmental outcomes. Therefore, we believe this is a needed time to revisit ROP and provide a thematic issue focused on ROP from several perspectives.”

Read all 16 ROP articles here.

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_{Keywords: eye and brain journal eye and brain retinopathy of prematurity retinopathy ophthalmology}