The group is characterized as an advanced branch of a "bench to bedside" research activity on cells and fluids of the eye, particularly tears, conjunctival and corneal cells, Meibomian gland secretion, cell cultures, and in vitro organo-cultures, which is currently performed at the DIMEC Ophthalmology Unit Laboratory (https://dimec.unibo.it/en/research/research-groups/general-surgery-and-surgical-specialties/ocular-surface-and-translational-research-in-ophthalmology ), and will be associated with it. In the clinical scenario, tear analysis is an emerging technique, but one with great potential for expansion as tears are an easily accessible body fluid, collected by a totally noninvasive procedure, containing several constituents that change their levels under pathological conditions, and thus represent a reliable clinical sample, to be validated in the course of the present project.
To date, the role of human tear analysis is well established in the search for biomarkers not only for ocular diseases but also for systemic and neurodegenerative diseases. In the clinical scenario, tear analysis is an emerging technique, but one with great potential for expansion because tears are an easily accessible body fluid, collected by a totally noninvasive procedure, containing several constituents that change their levels under pathological conditions, and thus represent a reliable clinical sample. In addition, a pellet of exfoliated conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells, as well as immunocompetent cells, from whose characterization inflammatory and neurosensory dysfunction markers are revealed, are collected from the tear sample after centrifugation for characterization of the pathological condition of patients. The aim of the project is to expand the panel of markers (proteins, cytokines, neurotransmitters, MiRNAs) analyzed on tears, which the Laboratory of Cornea Analysis Ocular Surface and Translational Research (https://dimec.unibo.it/it/ricerca/gruppi-di-ricerca/chirurgia-generale-e-chirurgie-specialistiche/superficie-oculare-e-ricerca-traslazionale-in-oftalmologia; https://www.aosp.bo.it/it/content/laboratorio-analisi-superficie-oculare ) already performs in part. The research will focus particularly on pre-transplant corneal and hematopoietic stem cell patients, to characterize and follow them in the postoperative follow-up, as such patients may develop severe disease conditions associated with ocular surface system dysfunction, with onset of important and uncontrolled subjective pain associated with recurrent keratopathy.
Study methodologies will be based on gene expression analysis (Nanodrop nucleic acid quantification, Real Time PCR), protein expression analysis (Western Blot, Immunofluorescence and microscopic analysis), Flow Cytometry of tear samples taken as part of a study currently under submission to the CE AVEC