Core signaling axes of TGF-β-mediated scleral remodeling and their significance in myopia progression
10.3980/j.issn.1672-5123.2026.7.20
- VernacularTitle:TGF-β介导巩膜重塑的核心信号轴及其在近视进展中的意义
- Author:
Ruixue LI
1
;
Yujie ZHU
1
Author Information
1. The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
myopia;
scleral remodeling;
transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β);
signaling axis;
Smad;
Rho/ROCK;
bone morphogenetic protein
- From:
International Eye Science
2026;26(7):1228-1233
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Myopia is a globally prevalent refractive eye disease, with abnormal axial elongation as its core structural feature, and scleral remodeling is the key terminal event driving axial elongation. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), as a core cytokine regulating tissue remodeling, modulates the phenotype of scleral fibroblasts, extracellular matrix(ECM)metabolism, and tissue mechanical properties through a multi-signaling axis network, thereby playing a crucial role in myopic scleral remodeling. This article systematically summarizes the core signaling mechanisms of TGF-β-mediated scleral remodeling. As a core driver, TGF-β synergistically promotes scleral remodeling at both transcriptional regulatory and cellular mechanical levels through its two downstream core signaling axes, namely Smad and Rho/ROCK. Bone morphogenetic protein(BMP), an important member of the TGF-β superfamily and a key negative regulator of the core signaling axes, maintains scleral homeostasis by antagonizing the TGF-β/Smad signaling. Additionally, the TGF-β core signaling axes may crosstalk with pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt. This article clarifies the core significance of the TGF-β-mediated signaling axis network in the progression of myopia, provides a systematic framework for understanding the molecular mechanisms of myopic scleral remodeling, and identifies research gaps in areas such as crosstalk molecules among signaling axes, stage-specific functions, and clinical translation. It also offers novel insights for the precise prevention, control, and targeted treatment of myopia.
