With the expected increase in the population of older individuals, vision loss due to endothelial cell dysfunction will also increase, producing a greater need to find medical treatments for this form of blindness rather than to rely on corneal transplants to restore visual acuity. We know that endothelial cells, even from older individuals, have the ability to divide. The goal of our studies is to determine how corneal endothelial cell division is regulated and then to use this information to develop ways to increase cell numbers. We have already identified several mechanisms that cause cell division to be inhibited in vivo and are using a number of approaches to try and overcome this inhibition. We are currently working on several promising ways to stimulate division in these cells to increase cell numbers without inducing cancer-like unregulated cell growth.
Advanced age is associated with delayed wound healing and repair.
Wound repair is a multistep process consisting of homeostasis, inflammatory cell infiltration, tissue regrowth, and remodeling. Our research deals with the mechanisms of corneal epithelial wound healing. We are interested in knowing what proteins or biological factors are involved in controlling corneal wound healing and whether these factors might account for the overall delay in the wound repair process in the aging eye. This study may help to create an optimal healing environment that can be utilized for the treatment of the age-related delay of wound repair. Our laboratory studies the regulation of blood vessel growth.