Prospects for Neuroprotective Therapies in Glaucoma: Drug Targets and Emerging Clinical Strategies
Drug Des Devel Ther. 2026 Jun 16;20:612176. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S612176. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT Management of glaucoma is now at an inflection point with a new generation of therapeutic candidates, whilst targeting intraocular pressure-independent strategies is challenged by the landmark Phase III failure of memantine regarding trial design and endpoint sensitivity. Preclinical research has identified promising targets […]
Malnutrition as a Risk Factor for Cerebral and Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration – Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2026 Jun 22. doi: 10.1055/a-2841-0517. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Neurodegenerative diseases are an increasing challenge for healthcare systems in the context of demographic change. They affect the central nervous system, including the brain-manifesting, for example, as dementia-as well as the retina, as seen in glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. […]
MGST1 drives lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma via mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming and immune suppression
Front Immunol. 2026 Jun 4;17:1848083. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1848083. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: While papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) generally exhibits a favorable prognosis, a subset of patients experiences poorer outcomes, with lymph node metastasis (LNM) significantly increasing the risk of recurrence and correlating with a worse prognosis. Mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming and immune evasion play pivotal roles in […]
Stage- and compartment-specific remodeling of autophagy and selective mitophagy in glaucoma: from aqueous outflow dysfunction to retinal ganglion cell neurodegeneration
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2026 Jun 4;14:1842496. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1842496. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness and is increasingly understood as a chronic neurodegenerative disorder rather than a disease explained solely by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Although IOP lowering remains the cornerstone of treatment, many patients continue to progress despite […]
Near-Infrared and Red-Light Photobiomodulation for Ocular Aging and Diseases: A Narrative Review
Ophthalmol Ther. 2026 Jun 21. doi: 10.1007/s40123-026-01427-9. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Near-infrared (NIR) and red light photobiomodulation (PBM) has gained increasing interest as a non-invasive therapeutic approach for a variety of medical conditions including ocular diseases. The eye represents a particularly suitable target for light-based therapies owing to its optical accessibility and the high […]
Mitochondrial peptide MOTS-c suppresses systemic and cardiac inflammasome activation in a diabetic rat model
Exp Physiol. 2026 Jun 19. doi: 10.1113/EP093714. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with chronic systemic and cardiac inflammation, contributing to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The mitochondrial-derived peptide mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-C (MOTS-c) has emerged as a promising regulator of metabolic and inflammatory […]
The role of short-chain fatty acids as key mediators of gut microbiota – host crosstalk in athyroid diseases
Autoimmun Rev. 2026 Jun 19:104123. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2026.104123. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The gut-thyroid axis has emerged as a pivotal area of research in endocrinology. Growing evidence suggests that gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis is implicated in the pathogenesis of thyroid diseases. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), key microbial metabolites, are proposed as critical mediators in this […]
Redox imbalance dictates dependence on GOT1 versus GOT2 for rod photoreceptor health during aging and stress
Redox Biol. 2026 Jun 18;95:104266. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2026.104266. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Photoreceptor (PR) loss causes vision loss in many blinding diseases and effective therapies to prevent this cell loss are lacking. Aspartate aminotransferases (GOTs), located in the cytosol (GOT1) and mitochondria (GOT2), are key components of the malate-aspartate shuttle, which transfers reducing equivalents from […]
Minocycline as a therapeutic candidate in diabetic retinopathy: insights into pathophysiology and translational potential
Exp Eye Res. 2026 Jun 19;270:111134. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2026.111134. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide and is increasingly recognized as a complex neurovascular disease characterized by early neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and microvascular dysfunction. Current therapies primarily target late-stage vascular complications and do not adequately address the upstream […]
Mitofusins are required for specialized mitochondrial morphology and function of rod photoreceptor cells
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2026 Jun 3;14:1724328. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1724328. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that undergo continuous morphological changes, yet exhibit unique, cell-type-specific structures. In rod photoreceptor cells of the retina, these include elongated mitochondria in the inner segments and a distinct, large, circular mitochondrion within each presynaptic terminal. The mechanisms underlying the […]