Introducing the Ocular Pathobiology Topic Category in The American Journal of Pathology.

Vision loss can affect people of all ages and poses an enormous global financial burden, with the annual global cost of productivity estimated to be US$411 billion. Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment, last accessed September 12, 2023). However, despite supporting statistics and the impairing effects of loss of vision on a patient's life, the diseases of the eye are not taught during the study of pathology in the majority of American medical schools. Instead, a specific residency in ophthalmic pathology has to be undertaken to gain familiarity as well as specialize in this field. The reason for this educational and training gap is not apparent to this Associate Editor of The American Journal of Pathology (AJP). Unfortunately, the gap does not seem to be addressed adequately in the currently available literature either. Therefore, the decision of AJP to more actively solicit and showcase manuscripts in this area is a particularly timely one. While AJP has been publishing ocular pathobiology research for almost 100 years,1Hu C.H. Neuro-epithelioma (glioma) of retina with metastases.Am J Pathol. 1930; 6: 27-38Google Scholar the published articles have generally been grouped with vascular biology or genetics focused articles, and it is time that a dedicated space be provided for research into diseases of the eye. Consequently, this issue introduces Ocular Pathobiology as a new topic category. Moreover, it features three reviews, four mini-reviews, 12 regular articles, a commentary, a short communication, and two Guest Editorials, all focusing on ocular pathobiology. The research conducted in various eye disease models as well as on pathogenesis of ocular diseases provides a strong foundation for other disciplines of pathology to build upon. The retinal vasculature is likely to be familiar to many vascular biologists. The mouse retina, which is vascularized postnatally, has been widely used as a model to study many aspects of vascular development. Postnatal mouse retinas give exceptional access to virtually all elements of vessel formation. For example, studies of tip and stalk cell characterization and regulation at the developing vascular front have been facilitated by their clear visualization in retinal flat mounts of postnatal mice. Similarly, the rabbit cornea has been widely used to study the regulation of corneal graft rejection and has provided an important model in which to study angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Mouse models of pathologic neovascularization have been central to investigations of abnormal vessel development. The oxygen-induced retinopathy model, in which pathologic vessels arise from the inner retinal vasculature, is often used in studies of ischemia-induced retinopathies, such as the retinopathy of prematurity and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model is effectively a wound-healing model of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)–driven vessel growth but has been central as a preclinical model in developing therapies for wet age-related macular degeneration. The timely articles featured in this special ocular pathobiology issue of AJP will help advance the cutting-edge pathology research conducted by readers in their own pathology disciplines. This special Theme Issue is dedicated to ocular pathobiology, gives an idea of the range of topics being pursued in this field, and marks AJP’s increasing efforts to incorporate the pathology of the eye into general investigative pathology. The American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) is also committed to advancing the field of ocular pathobiology. To complement this special Theme Issue, a session on ocular pathology has been organized for the upcoming ASIP Annual Meeting that will be held October 22 to 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Moreover, ASIP has initiated a Scientific Interest Group in Ocular Pathobiology, a free network accessible to all ASIP members. We welcome reports of investigations into the pathology of the eye and want vision researchers to know that they will find a welcoming community at ASIP and in the pages of AJP.