Klinik für Augenheilkunde

Research focus

The cornea is the window of the eye. Various infections and congenital diseases of the cornea can lead to clouding and thus to a loss of vision. 

For many of these patients, transplantation of corneal tissue is the only possibility to regain vision. 

Within the last decade, lamellar keratoplasties have extended the surgical spectrum of corneal transplantation. For penetrating keratoplasty as well as lamellar corneal transplantation, immune-mediated corneal graft rejection remains the most common reason for graft failure. 

The goal of our research group is to better understand processes during a rejection in order to develop more targeted therapies. Our work is focused on the innate immune system.  

Projects and selected publications

1. Clinical registry data analysis
   • Lapp T, Heinzelmann S, Shanab WA, Reinhard T, Boehringer D. Graft decentering in DSAEK: a risk factor for immune reactions?. Eye (Lond). 2016
   • Lapp T, Heinzelmann S, Böhringer D, Eberwein P, Reinhard T, Maier P. Use of Donor Corneas From Pseudophakic Eyes for Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty. Cornea. 2018
2. Translational clinical science
   • Lapp T, Zaher SS, Haas CT, et al. Identification of Therapeutic Targets of Inflammatory Monocyte Recruitment to Modulate the Allogeneic Injury to Donor Cornea. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015
   • Zhuang X, Schlunck G, Wolf J, Rosmus DD, Bleul T, Luo R, Böhringer D, Wieghofer P, Lange C, Reinhard T, Lapp T. Time- and Stimulus-Dependent Characteristics of Innate Immune Cells in Organ-Cultured Human Corneal Tissue. J Innate Immun. 2021
3. Optimizing current rejection models
   • Lapp T, Hildebrand A, Böhringer D, Betancor PK, Schlunck G, Reinhard T. Optimizing rejection readouts in a corneal allograft transplantation model. Mol Vis. 2016
   • Bleul T, Zhuang X, Hildebrand A, Lange C, Böhringer D, Schlunck G, Reinhard T, Lapp T. Different Innate Immune Responses in BALB/c and C57BL/6 Strains following Corneal Transplantation. J Innate Immun. 2020
4. Implementation of human-based in vitro rejection models 
   • Kammrath Betancor P, Hildebrand A, Böhringer D, et al. Activation of human macrophages by human corneal allogen in vitro. PLoS One. 2018
   • Wolf J, Zhuang X, Hildebrand A, Boneva S, Schwämmle M, Kammrath Betancor P, Fan J, Böhringer D, Maier P, Lange C, Reinhard T, Schlunck G, Lapp T. Corneal tissue induces transcription of metallothioneins in monocyte-derived human macrophages. Mol Immunol. 2020

Further recent publications

1. RNA-seq related work
   • Lange C, Wolf J, Auw-Haedrich C, Schlecht A, Boneva S, Lapp T, Horres R, Agostini H, Martin G, Reinhard T, Schlunck G. Expression of the COVID-19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva. J Med Virol. 2020
   • Wolf J, Auw-Haedrich C, Schlecht A, Boneva S, Mittelviefhaus H, Lapp T, Agostini H, Reinhard T, Schlunck G, Lange C. Transcriptional characterization of conjunctival melanoma identifies the cellular tumor microenvironment and prognostic gene signatures. Sci Rep. 2020
   • Lange C, Wolf J, Auw-Haedrich C, Schlecht A, Boneva S, Lapp T, Agostini H, Martin G, Reinhard T, Schlunck G. What is the significance of the conjunctiva as a potential transmission route for SARS-CoV-2 infections? Ophthalmologe. 2020
2. DMEK related publications
   • Fritz M, Grewing V, Maier P, Lapp T, Böhringer D, Reinhard T, Wacker K. Diurnal Variation in Corneal Edema in Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy. Am J Ophthalmol. 2019
   • Fritz M, Grewing V, Böhringer D, Lapp T, Maier P, Reinhard T, Wacker K. Avoiding Hyperopic Surprises After Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty in Fuchs Dystrophy Eyes by Assessing Corneal Shape. Am J Ophthalmol. 2019
3. Other work
   • Atzrodt L, Lapp T, Reinhard T, Auw-Haedrich C. Transformation of a naevus into a mixed pyogenic granuloma-naevus mimicking conjunctival melanoma. Pathology. 2020
   • Reuer T, Schneider AC, Cakir B, Bühler A, Walz J, Lapp T, Lange C, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Cursiefen C, Reinhard T, Bock F, Stahl A. Semaphorin 3F Modulates Corneal Lymphangiogenesis and Promotes Corneal Graft Survival. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018