The complement system and glaucoma
Title: The complement system and glaucoma
Project description: This project investigates the role of the complement system in the development and progression of glaucoma, as well as its potential links with systemic factors. It includes population-based analyses and clinical case–control studies comparing ocular and systemic complement profiles. The overall aim is to improve our understanding of complement-mediated mechanisms in glaucoma and to identify potential biomarkers.
Onderzoeker: Yang Ge (MERLN)
Title: Human iPSC-baesd ocular cell induction for corneal endothelial regeneration and in vitro POAG modeling
Project description: Corneal endothelial dysfunction causes corneal edema and can ultimately lead to blindness. Currently, corneal transplantation remains the primary treatment; however, the limited availability of donor corneas significantly restricts its accessibility and clinical impact. To address this challenge, one of my projects focuses on corneal endothelium regeneration. Specifically, I am developing a small-molecule–based strategy to differentiate human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into functional corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs). In addition, animal studies are incorporated to evaluate the therapeutic potential of laboratory-generated CEnCs, with the goal of advancing this approach toward clinical translation for the treatment of corneal endothelial diseases.
My second project aims to establish an in-vitro platform for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) research. A key objective is to develop a robust and reproducible differentiation protocol for generating hiPSC-derived trabecular meshwork cells (iTMCs). In parallel, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) will be applied to characterize transcriptomic differences between healthy trabecular meshwork cells (TMCs) and POAG-derived TMCs. This platform will subsequently be used to biologically validate transcriptomic findings and to facilitate screening of potential therapeutic candidates for POAG.