Clinical Trials and Translational Research

Our working group is dedicated to the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for eye diseases. Through national and international cooperation, we advance scientific findings and effectively transfer them into clinical practice.
We analyze biomarkers in the aqueous humor, vitreous humor and on the surface of the eye in order to detect eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy at an early stage. These biomarkers are crucial for timely therapeutic intervention and prognosis. In addition, we examine the tear film after refractive surgery and cataract operations as well as inflammatory markers in the aqueous humor in cataract patients.

Tear film studies

Our research investigates the influence of refractive surgery on the tear film. The tear film is easy to collect and reflects pathological effects, making it an ideal target for investigation. We analyzed various protein parameters in the tear film and were able to identify important markers for dry eye and postoperative changes. For example, we were able to demonstrate that MMP-9, a marker for dry eye, was unchanged in the tear film of healthy subjects and after femtosecond laser-assisted and conventional cataract surgery (Tsai et al. 2022). In addition, we were able to demonstrate a downregulation of the pain marker calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the tear film both after femto-LASIK surgery and after lenticule extraction (Alwees et al. 2023, Tsai et al. 2022). The detailed analysis of tear film samples is the subject of current investigations.

Since 2022, we have been part of the international Tear Research Network and the BioNerve II consortium of the Ruhr University Bochum. These networks enable us to research tear biomarkers for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. We work in an interdisciplinary manner to further develop non-invasive diagnostic methods and make them usable across clinics.