Current Status and Future Directions on Corneal Genetics SciDoc Publishers | Open Access | Science Journals | Media Partners

The cornea, along with the sclera, serves as a protective shield for intraocular tissues. Moreover, the cornea accounts for two thirds of the eye’s refractive power [1]. Corneal pathologies will disrupt the protective function and refractive status of the eye, leading to visual impairment and even subsequent intraocular complications such as endophthalmitis. In this editorial, we will highlight the current status of corneal research on gene mapping in the recent two decades and the possible future directions. Corneal gene mapping grossly targets two categories of phenotypes: A) quantitative traits of the cornea, such as corneal thickness and corneal curvature,and B) corneal disorders such as astigmatism, keratoconus and dystrophies. Many of the phenotypes can present in Mendelian or multifactorial forms. The former usually occurs in families and is usually caused by mutations in specific genes, whereas the latter mostly presents as sporadic cases and is resulted from the interactions of multiple genetic and environmental factors