The cornea is the clear window at the front of the eye. It forms a protective layer and has an important function in focusing vision and allowing light enter the eye. Ocular Immunology is the study of how the eyes immunity processes and mechanisms contribute to disease and how they can be manipulated to prevent and fight disease.
The Research Foundation supports long term collaboration between the ocular inflammation/cornea service of the Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital, the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB) at Dublin City University, the Department of Immunology at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and the Department of Rheumatology at St Vincent’s University Hospital. This collaboration brings together clinical and scientific skills from a range of disciplines that are helping to improve our understanding of a number of inflammatory eye conditions and corneal diseases. The wide ranging research in these areas of specialty continues to significantly advance our scientific and clinical knowledge – benefiting professionals, and patients.
Projects & Studies
| Profiling microRNA expresson and Toll-like receptor responses in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, graft versus host disease and other causes of ocular surface inflammation | Professor Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology, RCSI & RVEEH
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Pathogenic cytokines in temporal artery explants from patients with giant cell arteritis |
Professor Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology, RCSI & RVEEH; Prof Eamonn Molloy, St Vincent’s University Hospital. | ||
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Adverse immune signatures and their prevention in corneal transplantation (VISICORT) |
Professor Conor Murphy, RCSI Professor of Ophthalmology, RVEEH.
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Impact of Humira therapy on ocular inflammation, selected health care resource utilization and patient reported outcomes in patients with active non-infectious intermediate, posterior and panuveitis in routine clinical practice –HOPE Study. |
Professor Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology & Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, RVEEH & RCSI
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Analysing the expression and role of Micro RNA in patients with uveitis |
Prof Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology & Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, RVEEH & RCSI |
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Impact of anterior uveitis patients: 5 year prognosis from the DUET study |
Prof Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology & Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, RCSI & RVEEH |
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| Targeting ocular inflammation in dry eye disease with novel microRNA-based therapeutics |
Prof Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology & Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, RCSI & RVEEH
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| Development and implementation of the National Uveitis Registry |
Professor Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology, RCSI, RVEEH
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| Effect of IKERVIS on cytokine and microRNA profile at the ocular surface in severe keratitis due to dry eye disease |
Professor Conor Murphy, Professor of Ophthalmology, RCSI, RVEEH
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Herpes simplex keratitis research
Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) represents the single most important inflammatory disease of the cornea with respect to its impact on vision and health related quality of life. It is characterised by repeated episodes of inflammation in the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, which leads to corneal scarring and, in many cases, loss of vision. It is caused by the common cold sore virus, known as Herpes Simplex Virus type 1. Our research into this condition aims to improve our understanding of how the herpes virus interacts with our immune system, particularly our innate immunity which is our first line of defense. By improving our understanding of this interaction, we hope to identify new targets for treatments of this disease and improve the outlook for sufferers of HSK.
- Evasion of the innate immune response by herpes simplex virus in the cornea: molecular mechanisms mediating interferon down regulation and virus survival
- Effect of corneal Herpes Simplex Virus-1 infection on Toll-Like Receptor expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Investigators: Conor Murphy, David Shahnazaryan, Ciaran de Chaumont, Con Malone, Joan Ni Gabhann and Caroline Jefferies.
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
- Improving outcomes in giant cell arteritis through clinical collaboration
- Increasing diagnostic accuracy in GCA through imaging
- Blood Vessel Instability and Oxidative Damage in Giant Cell Arteritis
- Investigating pro-inflammatory mechanisms of GCA using an ex-vivo temporal artery culture model
Investigators: Conor Murphy, Eamonn Molloy, Ursula Fearon, Douglas Veale, Geraldine McCarthy, Lorraine O’Neill and Jim Meaney.
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St Vincent’s University Hospital, University College Dublin, St James’ Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.
Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome Research
Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease that destroys the specialised secretary glands that produce saliva and tears, causing dry eyes and dry mouth as well as generalized symptoms of aches, pains and lethargy. There is currently no cure for pSS and the exact cause is unknown. In this study we are expanding our understanding of this disease at a molecular level by investigating the role of toll-like receptors on blood cells from patients with pSS, as well as minor salivary gland biopsies (when taken for diagnostic purposes), tear samples and ocular surface washings. This study is being funded jointly by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the RVEEH Research Foundation.
Profiling Toll-like receptor responses in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Investigators: Conor Murphy, Caroline Jefferies, Con Timon, Eamonn Molloy, Joan Ni Gabhann.
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, St Vincent’s University Hospital and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Anterior uveitis and spondylarthropathy researchAcute anterior uveitis (AAU) is characterised by the acute onset of inflammation in the front compartment of the eye, leading to pain, light sensitivity and blurred vision. It is a common reason for presentation to ophthalmic emergency departments. In approximately half of cases there is an identifiable systemic disease, most commonly the seronegative spondyolarthropathies (SpA). This is a group of inflammatory joint diseases that predominantly affect the spine but have many other manifestations including skin and bowel problems.
This collaboration with St. Vincent’s Unversity Hospital Department of Rheumatology has led to the development of an assessment algorithm called the Dublin Uveitis Evaluation Tool (DUET) that enables the earlier recognition of SpA. With early detection come early and more effective treatment and disease control, and hence better quality of life. Our laboratory studies on the causative mechanisms of AAU are also providing us with some fascinating insights into the disease.
Projects
- Validation of the Dublin Uveitis Evaluation Tool (DUET), a new algorithm for the detection of undiagnosed spondylarthropathies in patients presenting with acute anterior uveitis in a primary care ophthalmology setting.
- To investigate the role of regulatory microRNA and dendritic cell function in the pathogenesis of acute anterior uveitis
- Prospective evaluation of vision and health-related quality of life in patients with acute anterior uveitis.
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cell activation status and functional characteristics in patients with acute anterior uveitis.
Investigators: Conor Murphy, Micheal O’Rourke, Pathma Ramasamy, Muhammad Haroon, Mary Connolly, Douglas Veale, Ursula Fearon, and Oliver Fitzgerald.
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St Vincent’s University Hospital, and University College Dublin
Genetic analysis of patients with congenital hereditary endothelial corneal dystrophy (CHED)CHED is a very rare inherited disease that manifests early in life with clouding of the front window of the eye, the cornea, as well as poor vision and nystagmus (wobbly eyes). It typically presents between the age of 2 and 5 years and causes lifelong bilateral blindness. In previous work, Dr Collette Hand, Lecturer in Genetics at UCC, located the abnormal gene causing CHED to chromosome 20. Since then, the affected gene has been identified and called SCL4A11. A large number of mutations in this gene have been described in different populations. In this study, we wish to identify the nature of the mutation in the SCL4A11 gene in a large Irish family with the condition.
Investigators: Conor Murphy, Mairide McGuire, Collette Hand.
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, and the Department of Molecular Genetics, University College Cork.
Corneal Tissue Engineering Research
Projects
- Gene expression profile of cultured limbal-cornea epithelial stem cells and cultured limbal fibroblast cells
- The role of cell culture set up in the growth of cultured limbal-cornea epithelial stem cells.
Investigators: William Power, Conor Murphy, Martin Clynes, Finbarr O’Sullivan & Clare Gallagher
Affiliations: Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland