Oxidative stress in the retina: implications for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Oxygen supplementation has been used as a part of respiratory care for preterm and term newborns since the beginning of 19th century. Although oxygen administration can be life-saving, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) due to hyperoxia can have detrimental effects in the developing organs of the preterm infants, with both short and long term consequences. Oxygen toxicity on the immature tissues of preterm infants can contribute to the development of several diseases like retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The vascular development of human retina is completed at term, whereas the neural retina develops up to 5 years of age. Disruption of the normal retinal neurovascular growth is the pathognomonic feature of ROP, and can lead to vision threatening disease or even blindness. It is estimated that at least 100,000 infants all over the world will be blind every year due to ROP, which is the leading cause of blindness in children. In this review we will discuss the role of ROS and RNS in the development of ROP, and how through historical, epidemiological, and developmental aspects of this devastating disease, we can design future research for its prevention and treatment.