This issue of US Ophthalmic Review contains a broad range of articles that will be of interest to a wide spectrum of readers. Importantly, they cover topics that are expected to have greater ramifications in the future. Indeed, the publication begins with a new ‘International Health’ section and an article by two young doctors on presbyopia in rural Kenya. It then goes on to cover key issues in glaucoma, ocular tumors, ocular surface, cornea, and age-related macular degeneration, as well as other areas.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the way in which we practice medicine today was the birth of tissue bioengineering and regenerative medicine, which have been predicted to become the foundation of all medicine a generation from now. These disciplines include topics such as stem cell applications, biodegradable scaffolds, gene therapy, and, eventually, the ability not just to repair tissues but to alter and improve our DNA. To this end, Bao Jian Fan, MD, PhD, and Janey L Wiggs, MD, PhD, contribute an article titled ‘DNA Sequence Variants in LOXL1 and Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma’ in which they discuss the role of the LOXL1 (lysyl oxidase-like-1) gene in exfoliation syndrome—a systemic disease that has been reported to have a number of cardiovascular associations. Lysyl oxidase serves as both a cross-linking enzyme and a scaffolding element that ensures spatially defined deposition of elastin. The role of LOXL1 in these associations is just beginning to be explored.n This publication also includes articles and reviews covering a wide range of other areas of clinical interest. Karen M Joos, MD, PhD, and Jeffrey A Kammer, MD, review advances in glaucoma drainage implants; Cynthia Toth, MD, et al. discuss the rapidly emerging applications in high-resolution ocular imaging afforded by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography; and Paul Sternberg, Jr, MD, et al. investigate plasma-soluble Fas ligand in age-related macular degeneration. This issue also carries two papers about dry-eye symptoms from Frank Holly, MD, and Dave Patel, MD, and presents contributions on recent developments in imaging and laser technologies from Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, and Mark Tomalla, MD, respectively. All of these and many other research and clinical topics are covered in this issue of US Ophthalmic Review. The Editor hopes that the readers will continue to enjoy and benefit from the selection of articles offered.
