Project: X02

This crosslinking project aims to identify and evaluate novel therapeutic strategies to improve corneal graft survival by leveraging compounds and targets already under investigation within other SFB 1607 projects. Building on the therapeutic screening efforts of project A03, the project explores immunomodulatory pathways shared between corneal disease, retinal inflammation, and ocular cancer.

One focus of the project is the role of Galectin-1, a molecule currently studied in project C05 in the context of retinal microglia regulation. While Galectin-3 has already been associated with inflammatory corneal diseases, the role of Galectin-1 in the cornea remains largely unexplored. Transcriptomic analyses from A03 revealed a strong upregulation of Galectin-1 across multiple corneal injury models, particularly under highly inflammatory conditions. As Galectin-1 has been described as both immunoregulatory in acute inflammation and proinflammatory in chronic disease settings, this project aims to investigate its functional role in high-risk corneal transplantation. To this end, both recombinant Galectin-1 and the Galectin-1 inhibitor OTX008 will be evaluated in experimental mouse models of corneal transplantation.

A second therapeutic candidate originates from project C04, where Osteopontin-specific antibodies are investigated as a treatment strategy for conjunctival melanoma. Osteopontin is a well-established marker of chronic inflammation and cancer progression and was also found to be strongly upregulated in corneal injury models. This project therefore examines whether Osteopontin-targeted therapy can improve corneal graft survival and modulate inflammatory responses in the transplanted cornea.

By transferring therapeutic concepts from retinal disease research and ocular oncology into corneal transplantation research, this project establishes a highly interdisciplinary framework within SFB 1607. The results are expected to accelerate the identification of new treatment strategies for corneal graft rejection while uncovering shared immunological mechanisms across different ocular tissues and diseases.

Key Methods

• Experimental mouse models of high-risk corneal transplantation
• Transcriptomic analysis and gene expression profiling