Metalloproteinases Research Laboratory
Dimitri Azar, MD, Director
Dean, University of Illinois College of Medicine
Professor
B.A. Field Endowed Chair of Ophthalmologic Research
Research Interest: Investigates the pathology of corneal wound healing, the role of matrix metalloproteinases in the cornea, and mathematical modeling and optics in refractive surgery and presbyopic treatments.
Ongoing Research: Current investigations focus on the stromal fibroblasts promotion of corneal neovascularization through their proangiogenic MMP activity.
Impact: Characterization of the spatial and temporal relationships of MT1-MMP activity in corneal angiogenesis and evaluation of the mechanisms of corneal neovascularization will be valuable for identifying potential targets for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of corneal neovascularization.