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Call for papers - Advances in keratoconus treatment

Guest Editors:
Davide Borroni, Riga Stradins University, Latvia
Michael Mimouni, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Marina Rodríguez Calvo de Mora: Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery, Netherlands; Qvision, VITHAS Almería Hospital & VITHAS Málaga, Spain

Vito Romano, University of Brescia, Italy

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 31 May 2024


BMC Ophthalmology is calling for submissions to our Collection on "Advances in keratoconus treatment". Keratoconus is a progressive corneal disorder characterized by thinning and steepening of the cornea, resulting in irregular astigmatism and myopia finally decreasing visual acuity. Over the past few decades, significant advances have been made in the treatment of keratoconus, particularly in the areas of corneal imaging and surgical techniques. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is an effective procedure that has shown promise in halting or slowing the progression of keratoconus. Surgical approaches to reshape the cornea include the use of Intracorneal ring segments (ICRS). In certain cases, corneal transplant techniques, such as Deep Anterior Lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) or Bowman Layer transplantation are necessary. Moreover, regenerative or cell therapy also offer promising treatment options for keratoconus in certain cases. This Collection aims to collate original research articles regarding the current advances and management of keratoconus.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Davide Borroni: Riga Stradins University, Latvia

Davide Borroni graduated in Medicine at University of Insubria, Italy. He then achieved his CCT in Ophthalmology and his PhD at Riga Stradins University, Latvia. Afterwards, he completed a 19-month fellowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, UK. His major scientific interests are corneal transplant, cataract surgery, limbal stem cell transplantation and microbiome. He developed LUCY by Eyemetagenomics LTD, the first eye database platform for integrating metagenomic-personalized medicine into healthcare practice.

Michael Mimouni: Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Dr Mimouni is as an Assistant Professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He also serves as the president of the Israeli Cornea Society and the director of the cornea unit at the department of ophthalmology on Rambam health care campus, Israel. Dr Mimouni completed his medical studies at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel and finished an ophthalmology residency at the Rambam health care campus. He was awarded the National Outstanding Resident of the Year Award for his achievements. Dr Mimouni then completed a two-year surgical fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada, in the field of corneal transplants, cataract surgery, dry eye and laser refractive surgery.

Marina Rodríguez Calvo de Mora: Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery, Netherlands; Qvision, VITHAS Almería Hospital & VITHAS Málaga, Spain

Dr Marina Rodríguez Calvo de Mora is a corneal surgeon specialized in lamellar keratoplasties. She performed my fellowship at the clinic of Dr. Melles in Rotterdam (NIIOS), Netherlands, where she later worked as a consultant. Marina has always been interested in research and quality teaching with an international vocation. She did her European Doctoral Thesis (Doctor Europeus) about blood-derived sera in dry eye. She was the principal investigator in four clinical trials and is the editor of American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports and Ophthalmology and Therapy.

Vito Romano: University of Brescia, Italy

Vito Romano is a Professor at The University of Brescia, Italy. He is passionate about translational research and clinical trial design with a special interest in cornea and ocular surface diseases, cataract and refractive surgery.

About the collection

Keratoconus is a progressive corneal disorder characterized by thinning and steepening of the cornea, resulting in irregular astigmatism and myopia finally decreasing visual acuity. Over the past few decades, significant advances have been made in the treatment of keratoconus, particularly in the areas of corneal imaging and surgical techniques. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is an effective procedure that has shown promise in halting or slowing the progression of keratoconus. Surgical approaches to reshape the cornea include the use of Intracorneal ring segments (ICRS). In certain cases, corneal transplant techniques, such as Deep Anterior Lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) or Bowman Layer transplantation are necessary. Moreover, regenerative or cell therapy also offer promising treatment options for keratoconus in certain cases.

This Collection aims to collate original research articles regarding the current advances and management of keratoconus. Potential topics can include, but are not limited to, the following:

•    Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) advancements: e.g. accelerated CXL, or new combined treatments to optimize 
•    Topography-guided procedures: advanced corneal mapping technologies to create personalized treatment plans.
•    Wavefront-guided procedures: wavefront analysis to tailor the treatment based on individual aberrations in the eye.
•    Minimally invasive corneal implants: new types of intracorneal ring segments or other implants that require smaller incisions and promote faster recovery
•    Femtosecond laser-assisted procedures: precision and safety in corneal surgeries, such as corneal transplants or intracorneal ring segment placement.
•    AI-based diagnostics: new algorithms and machine learning models to improve keratoconus detection and progression monitoring.
•     AI algorithms to optimize treatment strategies based on patient data and outcomes.
•    Corneal hysteresis and biomechanical measurements: novel techniques to assess corneal stiffness and its impact on keratoconus management.
•    Biomechanical modeling: computational models to simulate corneal behavior and aid in treatment planning.
•    Ocular surface and microbiome characterization of keratoconus patients.

Image credit: starblue / Fotolia

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select ["Advances in keratoconus treatment"] from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Guest Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Guest Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.