Genetic/Epigenetic Modulation, Ocular Diseases, and Therapeutic Prospective

Call for Papers

Complex eye diseases often have significant genetic components. Previous work exploring the genetic contributions of ocular diseases has implicated numerous genomic regions and a variety of candidate genes as the modulators of the disease susceptibility, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and high myopia. It is apparent that a significant portion of the heritability of ocular disease cannot be explained through these mechanisms. The field of epigenetics pursues the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotypes caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. In general, epigenetic changes pertain to DNA methylation and histone modification, though recently this concept has expanded to include the microRNA regulation of gene expression. Aberrant epigenetic changes are associated with genomic instability and have been implicated in various human diseases. Recent advances in biology and medicine have introduced new technologies to study the genetics/epigenetic mechanisms of the ocular diseases. Knowledge and understanding of these conditions have led to the development of animal models and promising therapies.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the genetic/epigenetic modulation of ocular diseases and to develop strategies to treat these conditions. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Genetic epidemiological studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms, copy-number variation, epigenetic markers, and circulating microRNA with ocular diseases
• Functional genomics of candidate genes in ocular diseases
• Compound screening and clinical trials based on the modulation of disease genes and epigenetic status in ocular diseases

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jop/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/jop/epig/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Jingsheng Tuo, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

Guest Editors

• Lai Wei, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
• Nan Hu, Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China