The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review

Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible vision loss, is becoming more prevalent with the aging population, burdening patients, families, and society. In the past, the role of inflammatory factors in its pathogenesis was overlooked. This systematic review, based on a PubMed search and strict screen...

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Main Authors: Bin Lin, Dongkan Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1577200/full
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author Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
author_facet Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
author_sort Bin Lin
collection DOAJ
description Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible vision loss, is becoming more prevalent with the aging population, burdening patients, families, and society. In the past, the role of inflammatory factors in its pathogenesis was overlooked. This systematic review, based on a PubMed search and strict screening of 61 articles, selected 19 for in-depth analysis. It was found that multiple inflammatory factors like Tumor Necrosis factor alpha (TNF – α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Interleukin-1 (IL–1) are abnormal in glaucoma patients’ intraocular fluid. They impact trabecular meshwork function, damage retinal ganglion cells, and activate the complement system. Other factors such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) also contribute to the disease process. Based on these findings, emerging therapeutic strategies for glaucoma may include biological agents targeting specific inflammatory mediators, multitarget anti-inflammatory approaches, and personalized interventions guided by inflammatory biomarker profiling. However, critical challenges such as blood-retinal barrier penetration limitations, systemic immunosuppression risks, and technical hurdles in gene therapy delivery require further investigation. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence to inform clinical decision-making regarding inflammatory biomarker monitoring while identifying key knowledge gaps in ocular immunomodulation. The findings underscore the necessity for translational studies bridging preclinical models with clinical applications, ultimately aiming to optimize therapeutic outcomes for glaucoma patients worldwide.
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spelling doaj-art-27d9045fdd844e6989b11c992f1fa0c32025-08-20T03:13:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-05-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15772001577200The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic reviewBin Lin0Bin Lin1Bin Lin2Bin Lin3Bin Lin4Bin Lin5Dongkan Li6Dongkan Li7Dongkan Li8Dongkan Li9Dongkan Li10Dongkan Li11Xiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen, ChinaClinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaXiamen Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaFujian Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaXiamen Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaTranslational Medicine Institute of Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaXiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen, ChinaClinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaXiamen Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaFujian Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaXiamen Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaTranslational Medicine Institute of Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, ChinaGlaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible vision loss, is becoming more prevalent with the aging population, burdening patients, families, and society. In the past, the role of inflammatory factors in its pathogenesis was overlooked. This systematic review, based on a PubMed search and strict screening of 61 articles, selected 19 for in-depth analysis. It was found that multiple inflammatory factors like Tumor Necrosis factor alpha (TNF – α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Interleukin-1 (IL–1) are abnormal in glaucoma patients’ intraocular fluid. They impact trabecular meshwork function, damage retinal ganglion cells, and activate the complement system. Other factors such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) also contribute to the disease process. Based on these findings, emerging therapeutic strategies for glaucoma may include biological agents targeting specific inflammatory mediators, multitarget anti-inflammatory approaches, and personalized interventions guided by inflammatory biomarker profiling. However, critical challenges such as blood-retinal barrier penetration limitations, systemic immunosuppression risks, and technical hurdles in gene therapy delivery require further investigation. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence to inform clinical decision-making regarding inflammatory biomarker monitoring while identifying key knowledge gaps in ocular immunomodulation. The findings underscore the necessity for translational studies bridging preclinical models with clinical applications, ultimately aiming to optimize therapeutic outcomes for glaucoma patients worldwide.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1577200/fullglaucomainflammatory factorspathogenesisneuroinflammationtherapeutic targets
spellingShingle Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Bin Lin
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
Dongkan Li
The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
Frontiers in Immunology
glaucoma
inflammatory factors
pathogenesis
neuroinflammation
therapeutic targets
title The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
title_full The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
title_fullStr The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
title_short The pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma: a systematic review
title_sort pivotal role of inflammatory factors in glaucoma a systematic review
topic glaucoma
inflammatory factors
pathogenesis
neuroinflammation
therapeutic targets
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1577200/full
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