{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T16:56:50Z","timestamp":1788195410205,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":134,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,22]],"date-time":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1624320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003130","name":"Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1196418N"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1196418N"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003130","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pterygium is a multifaceted pathology that displays apparent conflicting characteristics: benign (e.g., self-limiting and superficial), bad (e.g., proliferative and potentially recurrent) and ugly (e.g., signs of preneoplastic transformation). The natural successive question is: why are we lacking reports showing that pterygium lesions become life-threatening through metastasis, especially since pterygium has considerable similarities with UV-related malignancies on the molecular level? In this review, we consider how our pathophysiological understanding of the benign pterygium pathology overlaps with ocular surface squamous neoplasia and skin cancer. The three UV-related disorders share the same initial insult (i.e., UV radiation) and responsive repair mechanisms to the ensuing (in)direct DNA damage. Their downstream apoptotic regulators and other cellular adaptations are remarkably alike. However, a complicating factor in understanding the fine line between the self-limiting nature of pterygium and the malignant transformation in other UV-related diseases is the prominent ambiguity in the pathological evaluation of pterygium biopsies. Features of preneoplastic transformation (i.e., dysplasia) are used to define normal cellular reactions (i.e., atypia and metaplasia) and vice versa. A uniform grading system could help in unraveling the true nature of this ancient disease and potentially help in identifying the earliest intervention point possible regarding the cellular switch that drives a cell\u2019s fate towards cancer.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells10071567","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,22]],"date-time":"2021-06-22T13:02:10Z","timestamp":1624366930000},"page":"1567","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":55,"title":["Pterygium\u2014The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4652-2387","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara I.","family":"Van Acker","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bert","family":"Van den Bogerd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michel","family":"Haagdorens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8608-4660","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vasiliki","family":"Siozopoulou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Edegem, Belgium"},{"name":"Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1115-7834","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sorcha","family":"N\u00ed Dhubhghaill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Pintelon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7728-7260","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carina","family":"Koppen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Foster, C.S., Azar, D.T., and Dohlman, C.H. 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