Comparative Ophthalmology Research Laboratory

The goals of this laboratory are to study the mechanisms and treatment of ophthalmic diseases in domestic animals.

Lab Members

Alison Clode, Principal Investigator
Brian Gilger, Principal Investigator
Tammy Miller-Michau, Principal Investigator
Beth Salmon, Laboratory Supervisor

Research

Our laboratory has three main areas of ongoing research:

Ocular inflammation and immunology

• Diseases studied include uveitis, keratitis, and dry eye.
• Current projects include the study of chronic recurrent inflammation in the eye, specifically in eyes with equine recurrent uveitis.
• Other projects include studies of infectious and immune-mediated keratitis, specifically in horses.

Sustained Ocular Drug Delivery

Funded projects include the development and evaluation of intravitreal, transcleral, and subconjunctival sustained ocular drug delivery devices for the treatment of bacterial and immune-mediated diseases of the eyes. Several medications have been evaluated and developed for use in horses, included the cyclosporine intravitreal drug delivery device.

Ocular Imaging

Ocular imaging, including studies involving high frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography, are also studied in the laboratory.

Recent Research Presentations

Gilger, BC, Wilkie DA, Salmon JA, Michau TM, Hayat M, Robinson MR. A novel bioerodible suprachoroidal cyclosporine ocular implant for equine recurrent uveitis. Proceedings of the 36 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Nashville, TN, October 2005.

Beale AB, Salmon JB, Michau TM, Gilger BC. Effect of ophthalmic Nd:YAG laser energy on intraocular lenses after posterior capsulotomy in dogs. Proceedings of the 36 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Nashville, TN, October 2005.

Clode AB, Davis J, Salmon JB, Michau TM, Gilger BC. Aqueous humor concentration of voriconazole after topical ocular and oral administration in horses. Proceedings of the 36 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Nashville, TN, October 2005.

Dunn JP, Csaky KG, Kim H, Gilger BC, Tremblay M, de Monasterio F, Tansey G, Yuan P, Robinson MR. A novel episcleral cyclosporine implant for keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . Abstract. Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Ft Lauderdale, FL , May 2005. P46.

Beale AB, Salmon J, Robinson MR, Gilger BC. Ocular toxicity of subconjunctival sustained release cyclosporine delivery devices in dogs. Proceedings of the 35 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Washington, DC. October 2004. Page 22.

Salmon JH, Loter SH, Jones S, Gilger BC. Neutrophil chemotaxis to normal equine tears . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . Abstract. Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Ft Lauderdale, FL, May 2004.

Davis JL, Gilger BC, Papich MG. The Pharmacokinetics of itraconazole in the Horse. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Annual Meeting, May 2004.

Miller-Michau T, Salmon J, Davis J, Davidson MG, Gilger BC. Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF- b ) in the Equine Tear Film. Proceedings of the 34 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Idaho October 2003. Page 52.

Pizzarani S, Maggio F, Miller-Michau T, Gilger BG, Davidson MG. Surgical and Clinical Comparative Study Between Foldable Acrylic Hydrophilic and Rigid PMMA Lenses in Canine Cataract Patients. Proceedings of the 34 th Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Idaho October 2003. Page 75.

Gilger BC , Salmon JH, Peng H, MR Robinson, Suprachoroidal Placement of a Matrix-Reservoir Cyclosporine Device for Treatment of Chronic Recurrent Uveitis in Horses: Preliminary Results. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 2003;43(4). Abstract. Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Ft Lauderdale, FL, May 2003.

Gilger BC, Roberge KA, Salmon JA, Crysburg L, Robinson M, Edelhauser HF, Papich M. In vivo and in vitro studies of transcleral diffusion of cyclosporine a through equine sclera. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 2002;42(4). Abstract. Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Ft Lauderdale, FL, May 2002.

Recent Publications

Lee S, Kim H, Csaky KG, Gilger BC, Robinson MR,.The pharmacokinetics and toxicity of a novel episcleral cyclosporine implant for high-risk keratoplasties. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci In preparation.

Michau TM, Gilger BC, Salmon J. Transforming growth factor beta-2 in the equine tear film. Am J Veterinary Research Submitted.

Beale AB, Salmon JB, Michau TM, Gilger BC. Effect of ophthalmic Nd:YAG laser energy on intraocular lenses after posterior capsulotomy in dogs. Vet Ophthalmol 2005, Submitted.

Clode AB, Davis JL, Salmon J, Michau TM, Gilger BC. Aqueous humor concentration of voriconazole after topical and oral administration in horses. Am J Vet Res 2005. In press.

Gilger BC, Michau TM, Salmon J. Immune-mediated keratitis in horses: 19 cases (1998-2004). Vet Ophthalmology 2005; 8(4):233-239.

Gilger BC, Reeves, KA, Salmon J. Ocular parameters related to drug delivery in the canine and equine eye: aqueous and vitreous humor volume and scleral surface area and thickness. Vet Ophthalmol 2005, 8(4):265-270.

Stoppini R, Gilger BC, Malarkey DE, et al. Bilateral nodular lymphocytic conjunctivitis in a horse . Vet Ophthalmology 2005; 8(2): 129-134.

Kim H, Csaky KG, Gilger BC, et al. Preclinical evaluation of a novel episcleral cyclosporine implant for ocular graft-versus-host disease . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2005; 46(2): 655-662.

Davis JL, Gilger BC, Robinson MR. Novel approaches to ocular drug delivery. Curr Opin Mol Ther . 2004;6(2):195-205

Davis JL, Stewart T, Brazik E, Gilger BC. The effect of topical administration of atropine sulfate on the normal equine pupil: influence of age, breed and gender. Vet Ophthalmol .2003;6(4):329-32.

Michau TM, Breitschwerdt EB, Gilger BC, Davidson MG. Bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffi as a possible cause of anterior uveitis and choroiditis in a dog. Vet Ophthalmol . 2003 ;6(4):299-304.

Michau TM, Schwabenton B, Davidson MG, Gilger BC. Superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses: 23 cases (1989-2003). Vet Ophthalmol .2003;6(4):291-7.

Pizzirani S, Davidson MG, Gilger BC. Transpupillary diode laser retinopexy in dogs: ophthalmoscopic, fluorescein angiographic and histopathologic study. Vet Ophthalmol . 2003;6(3):227-35.

Michau TM, Proulx DR, Rushton SD, Olivry T, Dunston SM, Gilger BC, Davidson MG. Intraocular extramedullary plasmacytoma in a cat. Vet Ophthalmol . 2003;6(2):177-81.

Michau TM, Gilger BC, Maggio F, Davidson MG. Use of thermokeratoplasty for treatment of ulcerative keratitis and bullous keratopathy secondary to corneal endothelial disease in dogs: 13 cases (1994-2001). J Am Vet Med Assoc . 2003;222(5):607-12.

Gilger BC, Pizzirani S, Johnston LC, Urdiales NR. Use of a hydroxyapatite orbital implant in a cosmetic corneoscleral prosthesis after enucleation in a horse J Am Vet Med Assoc . 2003;222(3):343-5, 316.

Links

American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists

Association in Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Entrez - Pubmed Search