Immunobiology and neuroimmunology of the mouse eye

The Corneal and Ocular immunology lab, led by Dr Holly Chinnery, uses preclinical models to understand how corneal epithelial cells, immune cells and sensory nerves interact to achieve homeostasis and recovery following injury, exposure to noxious stimuli and during normal ageing. Our laboratory is based in the Melbourne Brain Centre, where we have access to a suite of state-of-the-art instruments to enable in vivo clinical imaging of the mouse eye, along with ex vivo confocal imaging and molecular biology techniques. Using fluorescent reporter mice, the dynamic behaviours and phenotype of immune cell subsets can be observed in the living mouse cornea to providing insights into the immunobiology of immune cells in human eyes. We also investigate how corneal and retinal immune status is affected by non-ocular diseases or conditions, including tauopathy, diabetes and stroke. By understanding how ocular immune cells are altered during systemic diseases, we can move towards using ocular imaging to diagnose and monitor other pathologies.

The cornea is a highly innervated tissue. Damage to corneal nerves can disturb corneal and ocular surface integrity. Our lab is investigating the therapeutic potential of topically applied treatments, including decorin, to promote nerve regeneration after injury. We have reported that decorin treatment not only improves corneal nerve regeneration after injury, but inhibits the stromal inflammatory response to topical exposure to Benzalkonium chloride.