Applied Sciences  
Special Issue: Recent Advances in Pathogenesis and Management of Eye Diseases  
[PERSON] and [PERSON]  
Section of Anatomy, Histology and Movement Sciences, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Correspondence: [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
The pathogenesis and management of eye diseases have seen significant advancements in recent years, driven by technological innovations, a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms, and novel therapeutic approaches. Some of these aspects have been demonstrated and/or discussed in the scientific papers presented in the Special Issue \"Recent Advances in Pathogenesis and Management of Eye Diseases\", and the present Editorial aims to summarize the contents of these works. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people experience vision impairment, and in at least 1 billion of these people, it could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed [1]. The Pentacam system is an advanced diagnostic device used in ophthalmology, particularly for anterior segment imaging of the eye, including the cornea, anterior chamber, and lens. It employs a rotating Scheimpflug camera to create a 3D model of the anterior eye segment, providing highly detailed and accurate measurements essential for diagnosing and managing various eye conditions [2, 3, 4]. Through the creation of a three-dimensional model utilizing the Pentacam system, researchers recently analyzed the behavior of the eyeball's corneal surface when prolonged luminous beams irradiate it at a minimum distance [5]. The results showed that this is an effective approach to quantifying displacements on the corneal surface under light irradiation based on brightness, distance, and wavelength [5]. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world [6]. It is a complex, progressive, and irreversible eye disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure, leading to damage to the optic nerve [7]. The early stages of glaucoma generally lack symptoms or pain. Therefore, patients might become aware of the disease only when significant vision loss occurs [8]. Considering the gravity of the pathology, early detection is essential to provide an appropriate treatment to slow down or halt disease progression [9]. Traditional methods for measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) are invasive and uncomfortable and provide only a single measurement at a time on widely varying parameters. On the contrary, contact lenses represent a valid instrument for the continuous monitoring IOP. Recently, [PERSON] et al. [10] treated commercial contact lenses with a carbon dioxide laser to obtain a concentric pair of rings on their surfaces, in the form of microchannels. These rings proved to be a novel and non-invasive method of detecting IOP values in glaucoma patients. Moreover, smartphones can be used as readers to capture interspacing changes, providing rapid and precise results. Another common eye disease is keratocous. It affects 1 in 2000 people and it is one of the leading causes of corneal transplantation [11]. Keratoconus is a bilateral and asymmetric disease characterized by cone-like steepening of the cornea, leading to irregular astigmatism and decreased visual acuity [12, 13]. The etiology of keratocous is multifactorial, and genetic factors seem to contribute to its pathogenesis [11, 14, 15]. A recent study investigated the involvement of the visual system homeobox 1 (VSX1) gene in the pathogenesis of keratocous [16] via in silico analysis on autosomal recessive Pakistani families and sporadic keratocous patients. In particular, their bioinformatic analysis revealed two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in keratocnous development. Considering that the etiology of keratocnous is multifactorial with genetic and environmental influences, it is necessary to adopt new genetic technologies to improve our knowledge on the pathogenesis of this disabling ocular pathology [15].