Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a rare proliferative ocular disorder in preterm infants. Because of the advancements in neonatal care, the incidence of ROP has increased gradually. Now, ROP is one of the leading causes of blindness in children. Preterm infants with immature retinal development are exposed to supplemental oxygen inside an incubator until their cardiopulmonary system is adequately developed. Once they are returned to room air, the relatively low oxygen level stimulates various angiogenesis factors initiating retinal neovascularization. If patients with ROP are not offered adequate and timely treatment, they can experience vision loss that may ultimately lead to permanent blindness. Although laser therapy and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents are widely used to treat ROP, they have limitations. Thus, it is important to identify novel therapeutics with minimal adverse effects for the treatment of ROP. To date, various pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies have been assessed as treatments for ROP. In this review, the major molecular factors involved in the pathogenesis of ROP, currently offered therapies, therapies under investigation, and emerging novel therapeutics of ROP are discussed.

Vascular calcification (VC) is characterized by calcium deposition inside arteries and is closely associated with the morbidity and mortality of atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). VC is now widely known to be an active process occurring in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) involving multiple mechanisms and factors. These mechanisms share features with the process of bone formation, since the phenotype switching from the contractile to the osteochondrogenic phenotype also occurs in VSMCs during VC. In addition, VC can be regulated by epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNAs. Although VC is commonly observed in patients with chronic kidney disease and CVD, specific drugs for VC have not been developed. Thus, discovering novel therapeutic targets may be necessary. In this review, we summarize the current experimental evidence regarding the role of epigenetic regulators including histone deacetylases and propose the therapeutic implication of these regulators in the treatment of VC.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that can contain DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites. They are secreted by cells and play a regulatory role in various biological responses by mediating cell-to-cell communication. Moreover, exosomes are of interest in developing therapies for retinal vascular disorders because they can deliver various substances to cellular targets. According to recent research, exosomes can be used as a strategy for managing retinal vascular diseases, and they are being investigated for therapeutic purposes in eye conditions, including glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, retinal ischemia, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. However, the role of exosomal noncoding RNA in retinal vascular diseases is not fully understood. Here, we reviewed the latest research on the biological role of exosomal noncoding RNA in treating retinal vascular diseases. Research has shown that noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs, circular RNAs, and long noncoding RNAs play a significant role in the regulation of retinal vascular diseases. Furthermore, through exosome engineering, the expression of relevant noncoding RNAs in exosomes can be controlled to regulate retinal vascular diseases. Therefore, this review suggests that exosomal noncoding RNA could be considered as a biomarker for diagnosis and as a therapeutic target for treating retinal vascular disease.

Background: Drug-induced suicide (DIS) is a severe adverse drug reaction (ADR). Although clinical trials have provided evidence on DIS, limited investigations have been performed on rare ADRs, such as suicide. Objective: We aimed to systematically review case reports on DIS to provide evidence-based drug information. Methods: We searched PubMed to obtain case reports regarding DIS published until July 2021. Cases resulting from drugs that are no longer used or are nonapproved, substance use, and suicidal intentions were excluded. The quality of each case report was assessed using the CASE (Case Reports) checklist. We extracted data regarding demographics, medication history, suicide symptoms, and symptom improvement and evaluated the causality of DIS using the Naranjo score. Furthermore, to identify the potential suicidal risk of the unknown drugs, we compared the results of the causality assessment with those of the approved drug labels. Results: In 83 articles, we identified 152 cases involving 61 drugs. Antidepressants were reported as the most frequent causative drugs of DIS followed by immunostimulants. The causality assessment revealed 61 cases having possible, 89 cases having probable, and 2 cases having definite relationships with DIS. For approximately 85% of suspected drugs, the risk of suicidal ADRs was indicated on the approved label; however, the approved labels for 9 drugs, including lumacaftor/ivacaftor, doxycycline, clozapine, dextromethorphan, adalimumab, infliximab, piroxicam, paclitaxel, and formoterol, did not provide information about these risks. Conclusions: We found several case reports involving drugs without suicide risk information on the drug label. Our findings might provide valuable insights into drugs that may cause suicidal ADRs.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a vascular disease characterized by abnormal vessel development in the retina, has become a primary cause of blindness in children around the world. ROP can be developed during two different phases: vessel loss and vessel proliferation. Once preterm infants with immature retinal vessel growth are exposed to high level of oxygen inside the incubator, vessel loss can occur. When infants are exposed to room air, they may experience the proliferation of vessels in the retina. Although multiple factors are reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of ROP, including vaso-endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and hypoxia-inducible factors, the pathogenesis of ROP is not completely understood. Although laser therapy and pharmacologic agents, such as anti-VEGF agents, have been commonly used to treat ROP, the incidence of ROP is rapidly rising. Given that current therapies can be invasive and long-term effects are not fully known, the search for novel therapeutic targets with less destructive properties needs to be considered. Within the last decade, the field of noncoding RNA therapy has shown potential as next-generation therapy to treat diverse diseases. In this review, we introduce various noncoding RNAs regulating ROP and discuss their role as potential therapeutic targets in ROP.