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Experimental ophtalmology.

The experimental section of the posterior segment unit is a research and teaching centre that has as its primary purpose investigations of the etiology and treatment of specifically retinal degeneration caused by AMD, hereditary diseases, or diabetes. The focus of the unit is on tissue engineering, biomaterial science, cell transplantation and cell-based gene therapy.
Gene expression of ocular cells are evaluated using molecular biology techniques e.g. quantitative PCR. Using non-viral methods we are able to transfect RPE and IPE cells with high efficiency. Transfection has resulted in the stable integration of the transfected gene into the host cell genome and the production of a functional gene product. (Funded by EU, FP7, TargetAMD)
A number of biological and synthetic materials are being examined for their properties, transparency, handling and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. In functional analyses cultured retinal and iris pigment epithelial cells (RPE and IPE) are monitored for specific functions on various materials using various methods (e.g. phagocytosis, synthesis of specific markers, development of tight junctions, or immunohistochemistry). Transferring in vitro results to in vivo conditions, candidate materials are transplanted subconjunctivally or -retinally to assess biocompatibility. A fully equipped animal facility is available, including transgenic animals, video documentation and live streaming of surgeries.

Group's publications

Development of very large electrode arrays for epiretinal stimulation (VLARS).
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ONLINE
2014 vol. 13(1) pp. 11-11
WASCHKOWSKI F, HESSE S, RIECK AC, LOHMANN T, BROCKMANN C, LAUBE T, BORNFELD N, THUMANN G, WALTER P, MOKWA W, JOHNEN S, ROESSLER G

Effect of ranibizumab on serous and vascular pigment epithelial detachments associated with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY
2014 vol. 7 pp. 565-569
PANOS G, GATZIOUFAS Z, PETROPOULOS IK, DARDABOUNIS D, THUMANN G, HAFEZI F

Age macular degeneration: etiology, prevention, individualized therapies, cell therapy, and tissue engineering.
JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
2014 vol. 2014 pp. 287893-
GARCÍA-LAYANA A, THUMANN G, GROLL J

Current Treatment Limitations in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Future Approaches Based on Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering.
JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
2014 vol. 2014 pp. 510285-
FERNÁNDEZ-ROBREDO P, SANCHO A, JOHNEN S, RECALDE S, GAMA N, THUMANN G, GROLL J, GARCÍA-LAYANA A

Prospectives for gene therapy of retinal degenerations.
CURRENT GENOMICS
2012 vol. 13(5) pp. 350-362
THUMANN G

Sleeping Beauty transposon-mediated transfection of retinal and iris pigment epithelial cells.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
2012 vol. 53(8) pp. 4787-4796
JOHNEN S, IZSVÁK Z, STÖCKER M, HARMENING N, SALZ AK, WALTER P, THUMANN G

Detection of heat shock protein 70 in choroidal neovascular membranes secondary to age related macular degeneration.
BMC RESEARCH NOTES
2011 vol. 4 pp. 115-115
JÖRES AP, CARSTESEN D, THUMANN G, WALTER P, WEINBERGER AW

Endogenic regulation of proliferation and zinc transporters by pigment epithelial cells nonvirally transfected with PEDF.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
2011 vol. 52(8) pp. 5400-5407
JOHNEN S, KAZANSKAYA O, ARMOGAN N, STICKELMANN C, STÖCKER M, WALTER P, THUMANN G

Presence of xenogenic mouse RNA in RPE and IPE cells cultured on mitotically inhibited 3T3 fibroblasts.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
2011 vol. 52(5) pp. 2817-2824
JOHNEN S, WICKERT L, MEIER M, SALZ AK, WALTER P, THUMANN G

The in vitro and in vivo behaviour of retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured on ultrathin collagen membranes.
BIOMATERIALS
2009 vol. 30(3) pp. 287-294
THUMANN G, VIETHEN A, GAEBLER A, WALTER P, KAEMPF S, JOHNEN S, SALZ AK

Preservation of photoreceptors in dystrophic RCS rats following allo- and xenotransplantation of IPE cells.
GRAEFE'S ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
2009 vol. 247(3) pp. 363-369
THUMANN G, SALZ AK, WALTER P, JOHNEN S

Trityl dyes patent blue V and brilliant blue G - clinical relevance and in vitro analysis of the function of the outer blood-retinal barrier.
DEVELOPMENTS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY
2008 vol. 42 pp. 101-114
MENNEL S, MEYER CH, SCHMIDT JC, KAEMPF S, THUMANN G

Effects of bevacizumab (Avastin) on retinal cells in organotypic culture.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
2008 vol. 49(7) pp. 3164-3171
KAEMPF S, JOHNEN S, SALZ AK, WEINBERGER A, WALTER P, THUMANN G

Novel organotypic culture model of adult mammalian neurosensory retina in co-culture with retinal pigment epithelium.
JOURNAL OF NEURORADIOLOGY
2008 vol. 173(1) pp. 47-58
KAEMPF S, WALTER P, SALZ AK, THUMANN G

Research's domains

OPHTALMOLOGY




DATABASE-RESEARCH	GROUP OF CLINICAL PATIENT RESEARCH

Pre Gabrièle THUMANN	Head of group CV	Research subject	Members of the group


	Links about the group Pre Thumann Gabrièle HUG/Dépt NEUCLI Service d'ophtalmologie Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4 1211 Genève 4 Gabriele.Thumann@hcuge.ch Tel.: +41 22 382 83 68 Comments Pages updated the 17.11.2015		Reseach's subject \| Group's publications \| Research's domains Experimental ophtalmology. The experimental section of the posterior segment unit is a research and teaching centre that has as its primary purpose investigations of the etiology and treatment of specifically retinal degeneration caused by AMD, hereditary diseases, or diabetes. The focus of the unit is on tissue engineering, biomaterial science, cell transplantation and cell-based gene therapy. Gene expression of ocular cells are evaluated using molecular biology techniques e.g. quantitative PCR. Using non-viral methods we are able to transfect RPE and IPE cells with high efficiency. Transfection has resulted in the stable integration of the transfected gene into the host cell genome and the production of a functional gene product. (Funded by EU, FP7, TargetAMD) A number of biological and synthetic materials are being examined for their properties, transparency, handling and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. In functional analyses cultured retinal and iris pigment epithelial cells (RPE and IPE) are monitored for specific functions on various materials using various methods (e.g. phagocytosis, synthesis of specific markers, development of tight junctions, or immunohistochemistry). Transferring in vitro results to in vivo conditions, candidate materials are transplanted subconjunctivally or -retinally to assess biocompatibility. A fully equipped animal facility is available, including transgenic animals, video documentation and live streaming of surgeries. Group's publications Development of very large electrode arrays for epiretinal stimulation (VLARS). BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ONLINE 2014 vol. 13(1) pp. 11-11 WASCHKOWSKI F, HESSE S, RIECK AC, LOHMANN T, BROCKMANN C, LAUBE T, BORNFELD N, THUMANN G, WALTER P, MOKWA W, JOHNEN S, ROESSLER G Effect of ranibizumab on serous and vascular pigment epithelial detachments associated with exudative age-related macular degeneration. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2014 vol. 7 pp. 565-569 PANOS G, GATZIOUFAS Z, PETROPOULOS IK, DARDABOUNIS D, THUMANN G, HAFEZI F Age macular degeneration: etiology, prevention, individualized therapies, cell therapy, and tissue engineering. JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2014 vol. 2014 pp. 287893- GARCÍA-LAYANA A, THUMANN G, GROLL J Current Treatment Limitations in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Future Approaches Based on Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering. JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2014 vol. 2014 pp. 510285- FERNÁNDEZ-ROBREDO P, SANCHO A, JOHNEN S, RECALDE S, GAMA N, THUMANN G, GROLL J, GARCÍA-LAYANA A Prospectives for gene therapy of retinal degenerations. CURRENT GENOMICS 2012 vol. 13(5) pp. 350-362 THUMANN G Sleeping Beauty transposon-mediated transfection of retinal and iris pigment epithelial cells. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE 2012 vol. 53(8) pp. 4787-4796 JOHNEN S, IZSVÁK Z, STÖCKER M, HARMENING N, SALZ AK, WALTER P, THUMANN G Detection of heat shock protein 70 in choroidal neovascular membranes secondary to age related macular degeneration. BMC RESEARCH NOTES 2011 vol. 4 pp. 115-115 JÖRES AP, CARSTESEN D, THUMANN G, WALTER P, WEINBERGER AW Endogenic regulation of proliferation and zinc transporters by pigment epithelial cells nonvirally transfected with PEDF. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE 2011 vol. 52(8) pp. 5400-5407 JOHNEN S, KAZANSKAYA O, ARMOGAN N, STICKELMANN C, STÖCKER M, WALTER P, THUMANN G Presence of xenogenic mouse RNA in RPE and IPE cells cultured on mitotically inhibited 3T3 fibroblasts. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE 2011 vol. 52(5) pp. 2817-2824 JOHNEN S, WICKERT L, MEIER M, SALZ AK, WALTER P, THUMANN G The in vitro and in vivo behaviour of retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured on ultrathin collagen membranes. BIOMATERIALS 2009 vol. 30(3) pp. 287-294 THUMANN G, VIETHEN A, GAEBLER A, WALTER P, KAEMPF S, JOHNEN S, SALZ AK Preservation of photoreceptors in dystrophic RCS rats following allo- and xenotransplantation of IPE cells. GRAEFE'S ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY 2009 vol. 247(3) pp. 363-369 THUMANN G, SALZ AK, WALTER P, JOHNEN S Trityl dyes patent blue V and brilliant blue G - clinical relevance and in vitro analysis of the function of the outer blood-retinal barrier. DEVELOPMENTS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2008 vol. 42 pp. 101-114 MENNEL S, MEYER CH, SCHMIDT JC, KAEMPF S, THUMANN G Effects of bevacizumab (Avastin) on retinal cells in organotypic culture. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE 2008 vol. 49(7) pp. 3164-3171 KAEMPF S, JOHNEN S, SALZ AK, WEINBERGER A, WALTER P, THUMANN G Novel organotypic culture model of adult mammalian neurosensory retina in co-culture with retinal pigment epithelium. JOURNAL OF NEURORADIOLOGY 2008 vol. 173(1) pp. 47-58 KAEMPF S, WALTER P, SALZ AK, THUMANN G Research's domains OPHTALMOLOGY