Research Summary
The goal of the laboratory's research is to investigate the molecular genetic basis of inherited corneal disorders.
Dr. Anthony Aldave reviews information with Visiting Assistant Researcher Siamak Zarei-Ghanavati, MD.
The Cornea Genetics Laboratory, under Dr. Aldave's direction, is involved in the search for and characterization of the genes that are associated with the maintenance of corneal clarity.
The laboratory's primary focus is elucidating the molecular genetic basis of the corneal dystrophies, a group of inherited disorders that affect corneal clarity and constitute one of the primary indications for corneal transplantation.
Current areas of active investigation include the performance of linkage and association analyses for several corneal dystrophies, including posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy and posterior amorphous corneal dystrophy; investigation of the utility of newer modes of genetic analysis, such as large scale resequencing; and the use of RNA interference in modifying the expression of the TGFBI protein by human corneal epithelial cells.