Personalized anti(lymph)angiogenic therapy and immunomodulation in high-risk corneal transplantation (A03)

• Subject Area: Ophthalmology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 501530074

Corneal transplantation is the main therapy for loss of corneal transparency and vision. Immune rejections are the main cause of transplant failure. Pathologically inflamed and vascularized corneas have a higher risk of rejection as normal, avascular corneas. The reasons for inflammation and associated (lymph)angiogenesis are very diverse. Nonetheless, so far, no customized approach for therapy after such “high-risk corneal transplantations” exist. Our hypothesis is that different inflammatory and vascular “signatures” exist in different high-risk recipient beds. We aim to develop tailored and personalized immune- and (lymph)angiomodulatory therapies to improve graft survival.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1607: Towards immunomodulatory and anti(lymph)angiogenic therapies for age-related blinding eye diseases
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Felix Bock; Professor Dr. Claus Cursiefen