DFG Research funding for UVA-induced DNA damage in limbal epithelial stem cells of the cornea
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the research proposal submitted by Dr. Maria Notara and Prof. Claus Cursiefen from Cologne University Hospital. The DFG is providing €247,230 in funding for the joint project entitled “The effects of UVA-induced DNA damage in limbal epithelial stem cells on corneal inflammation and neovascularization” for a period of 36 months.
The research project addresses fundamental questions in ophthalmology: It investigates how DNA damage caused by UVA light in limbal epithelial stem cells influences inflammatory processes and neovascularization in the cornea. These mechanisms play a decisive role in various corneal diseases and can endanger vision in the long term.
“We are very pleased about the recognition and support from the DFG,” says Dr. Maria Notara. “The funding will enable us to better understand key biological processes in the cornea and develop new therapeutic approaches in the long term.” Prof. Dr. Claus Cursiefen adds: “This project is highly clinically relevant, as UVA-induced damage to the eye is an underestimated but widespread problem.”
With this grant, the DFG is once again strengthening the outstanding research landscape at Cologne University’s Department of Ophthalmology and supporting a project with high translational significance for basic ophthalmological research and patient research. This support also provides further impetus for SFB 1607 Project A05, “The role of limbal mesenchymal stem cells in corneal (lymph)angiogenesis, inflammation, and UV-induced pterygium pathogenesis,” whose project leader Dr. Notara is, together with Professor Björn Schumacher from the Institute for Genome Stability in Aging and Disease. The grant is also linked to the international research project STEM-CORE (Stem Cell Therapy Development for Corneal Epithelium Regeneration), which is coordinated by Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and will involve a doctoral student network starting in 2026, in which the next generation of experts in ocular regenerative medicine is educated.