Disease Pathways in the Eye and Brain: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms

Vision is governed by a complex interplay of molecular and cellular events across both the eye and the brain. While these systems are intimately connected through well-mapped neuroanatomical circuits, they also harbour distinct vulnerabilities and disease processes. This Research Topic aims to unravel the molecular underpinnings of visual and neurological disease by exploring the separate and overlapping mechanisms that drive pathology in ocular and cortical tissues.

The eye, as a highly specialised sensory organ, initiates visual perception through light capture, signal transduction, and pre-processing across its various structures including the cornea, lens, retinal pigment epithelium, and neural retina. Visual information is then transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve, reaching key centres such as the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex. Across these interconnected systems, a rich tapestry of signalling pathways regulate eye and brain development, synaptic integrity, immune surveillance, and metabolic homeostasis. Disruptions to these tightly controlled pathways contribute to a wide spectrum of diseases, from ocular conditions like cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and optic neuropathies to broader neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

This Research Topic invites contributions that dissect the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease in the eye, the brain, or their interface, with an emphasis on translational potential.

Submissions may include, but are not limited to:
• Mechanistic studies of disease pathways in ocular and/or cortical tissues
• Inflammatory and oxidative stress mechanisms in ocular and neurological diseases
• Dysregulated signalling cascades in eye or brain pathologies
• Developmental, metabolic, and regenerative biology of the visual and cerebral system
• Neuroplasticity, remodelling, and repair in the eye and brain
• Innovative experimental models or imaging technologies for studying the eye and brain.
By bridging insights from molecular biology, neuroscience, and ophthalmology, this collection aims to advance our understanding of how visual and neurological health is compromised across multiple levels, and to uncover novel strategies for diagnosis, intervention, and preservation of vision and cognition.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Ocular Health, Eye, Brain, Eye-Brain Signals

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.