Advances in the regulatory role of amphiregulin in ocular diseases

Abstract:

Amphiregulin(AREG)is a member of the epidermal growth factor family. As a key ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), it can activate signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt, ERK1/2, and STAT3, participating in biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis inhibition, and inflammatory immune regulation. AREG is closely related to ocular diseases and plays an important role in corneal repair, improvement of retinal damage, and regulation of ocular axial length. This article summarizes the structure, distribution, and biological functions of AREG, focusing on its regulatory mechanisms in ophthalmic diseases: participating in dry eye disease associated with Sjögren's syndrome by driving epithelial thickening and chronic inflammation; promoting corneal repair through an immune-epithelial coordination mechanism; abnormally activating the EGFR/PI3K pathway leading to lens opacity; regulating ocular axial length elongation through the retinal-scleral signal axis; modulating microglial polarization affecting the progression of diabetic retinopathy; and enhancing ocular tumor drug resistance through epigenetic modification. This article systematically reviews the molecular regulatory mechanisms of AREG in ophthalmic diseases, aiming to explore its potential for clinical application in ophthalmic diseases.