The purpose of this multi-center study coordinated by the Case Vision Research Coordinating Center is to determine the genetic basis for the most common corneal dystrophy in the United States, Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.  Severely affected patients who have undergone corneal transplantation for this disease are asked to contact their siblings to also be screened for the disease and have their blood drawn for genetic analysis to determine which gene(s) may have an influence in the development of the disease.

This national study, involving 1101 patients is designed to determine whether the age of the donor cornea influences how long the corneal transplant stays clear following corneal transplantation.  With a shrinking donor pool, it will be important to determine whether corneas from 65 to 75 year old donors can be used in younger patients successfully.  5 year results will not be available until 2007 with plans now for ten year results in 2012.  This study is coordinated by the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Florida.

This research project is designed to determine if the surgical procedure DLEK is able to reduce the degree of corneal astigmatism and shorten the time of corneal topography stabilization as compared to penetrating keratoplasty in patients suffering from endothelial failure of the cornea.

The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcome of penetrating keratoplasty when intraoperative rasterstereography corneal topography is used to PKP outcomes when rasterstereography is not used.  

ACCORD-EYE is a research study to determine whether or not intensive therapy or control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipids will reduce the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy associated with diabetes is the leading cause of acquired blindness in adults in the US. The ACCORD- EYE Study will involve a group of 4,065 people with diabetes already participating in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) Study.

The purpose of this study is to compare three different doses of Macugen® (0.003, 0.03, and 0.3 mg), to find out which dose is the most safe and effective for patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and effectiveness of different doses of a medication called plasmin to cause a separation of the vitreous (the gel inside the eye) from the retina (the layer of cells at the back of the eye that allows you to see).  The drug is injected into the vitreous of the eye.  Creating a PVD in this controlled manner before having a surgery called a vitrectomy, when the vitreous is removed from the back of the eye, may make the surgery easier and avoid complications after the surgery.

The Department of Ophthalmology serves as one of over 100 participating sites for the DCRC Network directed by the Jaeb Center for Health Research.  This National Eye Institute funded network exists to evaluate promising treatment approaches for diabetic macular edema.

The purpose of the study is to find out if injection(s) of steroid into the eye are safe and effective in the treatment of macular edema for people suffering from branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) compared to the standard laser treatment.

The Vision Research Coordinating Center (VRCC) was created in 2004 through funding by a vision research infrastructure grant from the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health.  It also receives support via pharmaceutical corporate funding.  The Center is housed in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The VRCC's mission is to coordinate multi-center trials to translate basic science discoveries developed in the Visual Sciences Research Center that may provide new methods to prevent or treat blinding diseases. The Center also coordinates federal and corporate-initiated trials for studies where the Department services as a site.  The VRCC is staffed by its director and Department of Ophthalmology Chairman, Dr. Jonathan H. Lass, two biostatistician/epidemiologists, the Vice Chair of the Department, Dr. Suber S. Huang, overseeing corporate trials, 4 clinical coordinators, and a database manager. 

Organized with a medical director, technical director and two certified technicians to perform dual grading and adjudication of endothelial images for image quality and endothelial cell count determination.  Also capable of morphometric analyses of endothelial images.  

The Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study (SMAS), is an ancillary study of the Cornea Donor Study (CDS) (see above).  It is examining the effect of donor age of long-term endothelial survival five to ten years after penetrating keratoplasty.  A recent published study by the SMRC, as a result of the SMAS noted that the accuracy of cell counting by eye banks participating in SMAS was good but there remains room for improvement with 30% of the counts greater or less than the SMRC count (Ophthalmology 112:431-440, 2005).