Dr. Tseng serves as Director of Research & Development of TissueTech, Inc., Medical Director and Consultant of Bio-Tissue, Inc., and Director of Research & Development of Bio-Lipid, Inc.

Dr. Tseng supervises Research Programs,

• Investigating the pathogenesis of ocular surface and tear diseases
  
• Inventing new tools for improving the diagnosis of ocular surface diseases
  
• Developing new medical and surgical treatments for ocular surface diseases

Research Team (Partial List for Year 2004):

• Scheffer C. G. Tseng, M.D., Ph.D., Director
• Topaz Kirlew, MT(ASCP), MBA, Executive VP Technical & Clinical Affairs
• Hua He, Ph.D., Molecular Biologist
• Shan Zhang, Ph.D., Laboratory Manager
• Edgar Espana, M.D., Research Fellow (Colombia)
• Tetsuya Kawakita, M.D., Research Fellow (Japan)
• Mario Di Pascuale, M.D., Research Fellow (Venezuela)
• Wei Li, M.D., Research Fellow (China)
• Ying-Ying Gao, M.D., Research Fellow (China)
• Alireza Baradaran-Rafii , M.D., Research Fellow (Iran)
• Antonio Elizondo, M. D., Research Fellow (Mexico)
• Kevin Guo, M.D., Research Fellow (Taiwan)

	Research Fellows of 2004		Research Team at BT in 2004

	Dr. Sun and Dr. Tseng 2002

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Advisors:

• Tung-Tien Sun, Ph.D.
  Ruldof L. Baer Professor, Department of Dermatology,
  New York Univeristy School of Medicine
• Winston W-Y Kao, Ph.D.
  Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati

Collaborators:

• Jean-Marie Parel, Ph.D.
  Henri and Flore Lesieur Chair Professor, Department of Ophthalmology,
  Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine
• Susanne Binder, M.D.
  Professor & Chair, Department of Ophthalmology,
  Rudolph Foundation Hospital, Vienna, Austria
• Kazuo Tsubota, M.D.
  Professor & Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology
  Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
• Chia-yang Liu, Ph.D.
  Assistant Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
  Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami

	Dr. Parel and Dr. Tseng 2001		Dr. Tsubota and Dr. Tseng 2001

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Basic Research Projects

• Exploring the action mechanism of amniotic membrane transplantation with respect to its anti-scarring, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic effects
• Exploring the mechanism of corneal invasion of pterygium
• Exploring the mechanism of recurrence of pterygium
• Exploring the mechanism of connective tissue laxity in conjunctivochalasis
• Exploring the mechanism by which amniotic membrane supports and expand epithelial stem cells
• Identifying markers for epithelial stem cells
• Exploring the mechanism by which limbal stem cell deficiency develops
• Developing new tissue engineering products using amniotic membrane matrix
• Testing gene therapies targeted at the epithelial stem cells
• Exploring ex vivo expansion of RPE cells on amniotic membrane
• Exploring new therapies to control conjunctival inflammation
• Exploring the role of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in wound healing
• Developing Kinetic analysis of tear interference images to diagnose lipid tear deficiency
• Exploring new treatments of meibomian gland dysfunction
• Exploring how amniotic membrane matrix can be used to maintain the cell phenotype of such mesenchymal cells as keratocytes
• Exploring the anti-scarring mechanism of amniotic membrane matrix

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Clinical Research Projects

• Reviewing clinical data of amniotic membrane transplantation and keratolimbal allograft help patients with limbal stem cell deficiency using a new immunosuppression regimen
• Reviewing surgical videos to see how surgical procedures of various reconstruction procedures are performed.
• Reviewing Impression cytology data concerning its use in diagnosing ocular surface disorders including limbal stem deficiency
• Development and testing a new synthetic meibum lipid formulation for treating lipid tear deficiency
• Testing how kinetic analysis of tear interference can be used to diagnose lipid tear deficiency
• Exploring blink-related microtrauma as a new pathogenic factor for ocular surface diseases
• Exploring whether acute tarsal ulceration is the key reason of developing cicatricial complications on the cornea in Stevens Johnson syndrome
• Exploring new surgical strategies to deepen the fornix
• Exploring the new surgical strategies to restore the lacrimal gland function in cicatricial ocular surface diseases
  
  [Note]: Foreign scholars (fellows) will only participate in data analysis or review of current data collected in basic research or previous clinical research. There is no direct patient care.

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Research Supports

• National Institute of Health, National Eye Institute
  RO1 EY06819 - 9/30/2000 - 9/29/2005
  Ex Vivo Expansion of Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells
• National Institute of Health, National Eye Institute
  R43 EY014768 – 4/01/2003 – 9/30/2003
  Development of Sutureless Amniotic Membrane Graft
• National Institute of Health, National Eye Institute
  RO1 EY015735 – 10/01/2004 – 9/30/2008
  Transplantation of Expanded Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells
• National Institute of Health, National Eye Institute
  R43EY015592 – 11/01/2004 – 4/30/05
  Ex Vivo Expansion of RPE Cells by Amniotic Membrane
• TissueTech, Inc.
  Research & Development Grant
• Ocular Surface Foundation
  Research & Educational Grant

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