Scleral remodeling in myopia: mechanisms and therapeutic approaches

High myopia is the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, driven by excessive axial elongation resulting in biomechanical weakening of the sclera, and increasing the risk of complications such as posterior staphyloma, myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataract, and glaucoma. Conventional myopia management strategies aim to slow axial elongation in childhood, leaving patients with high myopia at risk of vision-threatening complications as they age. For these individuals, targeted therapies that strengthen the weakened sclera represent a promising, yet still experimental, approach. This review provides an overview of the role of the sclera in myopia progression, emphasizing changes in extracellular matrix composition, collagen organization, biomechanical integrity, and signaling pathways. Investigational scleral therapies are discussed, including posterior scleral reinforcement techniques, crosslinking modalities, pharmacological strategies, and tissue engineering approaches, with discussion of their mechanisms, preclinical and clinical evidence, and translational challenges. Particular attention is given to translational barriers, such as safe delivery to the posterior pole, retinal safety, and the absence of standardized outcome measures that link biomechanical reinforcement to functional benefit. Advances in imaging and in vivo biomechanical assessment, such as polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography, Brillouin microscopy, and ultrasound-based elastography, hold promise for earlier risk stratification and treatment monitoring. By integrating insights from biomechanics, molecular biology, and therapeutic innovation, this review highlights the sclera as both a key driver of myopia pathology and a promising therapeutic target. Continued interdisciplinary collaboration will be essential to translate these experimental approaches into clinically viable treatments capable of reducing the growing burden of high myopia worldwide.