Ocular Regeneration and Extracellular Matrix Group

Team Leader: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Thumann

Team Members: Dr. rer. nat. Stefanie Kämpf, Dipl. Biol. Anna Katharina Salz, Dr. rer. nat. Sandra Johnen

Background: The Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research “IZKF Biomat.” at the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen University initiated a research group focussed on Ocular Regeneration and Extracellular Matrix due its possible significant impact on the quest for a treatment of degenerative eye diseases which are currently the main cause of blindness in the industrialized countries. In these countries one among three subjects has any sign of age-related macular degeneration. Based on population development data and on the incidence of advanced cases of ARMD it can be expected that by 2030 about 1 Mio subjects in Germany will be blind because of this disease. The treatment options currently available are limited. Therefore new innovative strategies should be pursued from basic research to clinical applications. The research group is integrated within the research framework of IZKF Biomat and simultaneously integrated in the clinical framework of the Department of Ophthalmology at RWTH Aachen University.