Pharmacological Strategies in Retinal Disease: From Bench to Bedside

The retina, as a highly specialized and metabolically demanding neural tissue, is vulnerable to a wide spectrum of debilitating disorders — including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, uveitis, inherited retinal dystrophies, and glaucoma — which collectively represent leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Despite recent advances in anti-VEGF therapies and drug delivery systems, significant unmet clinical needs remain, particularly in treating early-stage disease, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and degenerative pathologies for which no effective pharmacotherapy currently exists.This topic aims to bridge the critical gap between preclinical innovation and clinical translation in retinal pharmacology. We invite contributions that span the entire translational continuum, from molecular target discovery and mechanism‑based drug design to advanced formulation strategies, preclinical efficacy and safety evaluation, and early‑ to late‑stage clinical trials.Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:• Novel drug targets and signaling pathways involved in retinal neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and pathological angiogenesis.• Biomarker-driven pharmacological approaches, including the development of companion diagnostics for patient stratification and precision therapy.• AI-driven multi-omics target discovery, deep learning-based analysis of retinal imaging (OCT, fundus, OCTA) for preclinical efficacy assessment, machine learning models for patient endotype stratification, and AI-assisted prediction of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profiles to accelerate bench-to-bedside translation.• Advanced drug delivery systems for sustained and targeted retinal intervention, such as hydrogels, nanoparticles, cell-derived vesicles, implants, and gene‑ or RNA‑based therapeutics.• Preclinical-to-clinical translation, including predictive animal models (rodents, large animals), pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) correlations, and first‑in‑human studies.• Clinical trial design and real‑world evidence for emerging retinal pharmacotherapies, including combination regimens, novel endpoints, and long‑term safety monitoring.We particularly encourage interdisciplinary studies that integrate medicinal chemistry, materials science, ocular imaging, and clinical ophthalmology. By showcasing cutting-edge research and critical reviews, this collection seeks to accelerate the development of safe, effective, and accessible pharmacological treatments for retinal diseases — ultimately transforming bench discoveries into bedside solutions that preserve and restore vision. Topic editors: Yiyang Shu, Hong Yu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82186/pharmacological-strategies-in-retinal-disease-from-bench-to-bedside